The clear seawater welcomed Devon without resistance, embracing his body in a cool embrace. For him, diving into the sea was as easy as stepping off the porch. The laws of physics that bind ordinary humans—the need to breathe, the crushing pressure, and the water resistance that slows movement—were merely suggestions that he politely ignored. He glided downwards, his eyes, hidden behind strands of his messy black hair, easily piercing the blue of the water, searching for the frightened mermaid.
At the bottom of the shallow sea, a vibrant coral garden stretched out. Colorful anemones danced gently in the current, orange-and-white striped clownfish darted among their tentacles, and schools of tiny blue fish darted in unison like a living cloud of confetti. This was the world of Aqua, an underwater paradise full of life and beauty. And in the middle of this paradise, the mermaid hid, her trembling body tucked between giant brain coral formations and several gorgonians that towered like purple fans.
Aqua's mind was a storm of panic and confusion. 'A human... a human here!' Her heart pounded, an unpleasant sensation. The stories she had heard from the older sea dwellers always described humans as strange creatures from the Dry World; noisy, awkward, and dangerous. They couldn't breathe underwater. They couldn't move freely. Yet, the figure she had just seen defied everything she had ever known. 'Who is he? Why... why can he move in the water like... like one of us?' Her reddish-pink eyes peeked out from the crevice in the coral, watching the dark silhouette of the man floating down with impossible grace, without air bubbles, without aids. Her fear mixed with a strange and unwanted admiration.
Devon, of course, knew exactly where Aqua was hiding. He could feel her panicked heartbeat, the small vibrations in the water caused by her restless tail. However, this game was too much fun to end so quickly. He pretended to search, looking left and right dramatically, his hands shading his eyes as if he were really having trouble seeing. He swam up to an empty reef and tapped it gently. "Oh, half-fish creature~" he called, his voice muffled by the water but still clear and teasing. "Where are you hiding? This game won't be fun if you just stay there."
Aqua held her breath, pressing her body deeper into the coral niche. 'He's talking! Underwater! His voice... how is that possible?'
Devon continued his charade, swimming around a stone pillar. "Are you here?" he muttered to himself, loud enough for Aqua to hear. "Or maybe... there?"
It was then that something else sensed Devon's presence. Something much faster, more ferocious, and not at all shy. From the bluer depths, a living torpedo shot towards him. It was Shia, returning to see her new friend as promised. Her blue-green eyes lit up with hunting fervor as she spotted Devon's silhouette. Perhaps she thought this was part of their new game. Without hesitation, she lunged.
Devon felt her coming, of course. He could have easily dodged, stepping aside into another dimension and letting Shia pass. But where was the fun in that? A split second before impact, a faint smile played on his lips. He let it happen.
"OOF!"
Shia tackled Devon with the full force of a barracuda, her head slamming hard into the man's muscular stomach. Devon's body was thrown backwards, hurtling through the water until his back slammed into a coral formation near Aqua's hiding place with a loud "KRAK!" Some of the fragile coral broke and shattered, creating a cloud of white dust in the water.
The force sent them both floating uncontrollably for a moment before natural buoyancy brought them to the surface.
SPLASH!
Devon emerged first, his wet black hair dripping water. He rubbed his back with a feigned expression of pain. "Ara ara~ Miss Bodyguard," he said with an amused tone. "That's quite the enthusiastic good morning greeting."
Shia popped up next to him, grinning widely to reveal her rows of sharp teeth. "I caught you, Book Man!" she exclaimed cheerfully. "You're so slow today! Are all the stories in your stomach weighing you down?"
From behind the coral, Aqua peeked out in confusion, her eyes widening. A shark girl? She knew the wild shark girl. But... why was she attacking the strange human? And why were they now talking like old friends? Her confusion outweighed her fear. Slowly, very carefully, she began to swim to the surface, keeping a safe distance while still hiding behind another coral protrusion jutting out of the water.
"I'm not slow, I'm just giving you a chance," Devon replied, his eyes glancing towards the shyly peeking Aqua. "Looks like we have an audience."
Shia followed Devon's gaze and saw Aqua. "Oh! Hey! You're the shy Pretty Tail!" Shia exclaimed bluntly. "Why are you hiding? This Book Man won't dissect your heart, you know! Maybe... unless you annoy him a lot."
Aqua's face flushed beneath her already bright complexion. "I-I... I'm not..." she stammered, not knowing what to say.
"Don't scare her, Little Shark Girl," Devon said calmly, now floating on his back with his hands behind his head, as if he were in a private swimming pool. "She's just a little surprised. It's not every day she sees someone as handsome as me, is it?"
Aqua could only blink. The man's arrogance was so blatant that it felt strange and non-threatening.
Shia snorted, swimming around Devon like a dolphin. "She's not surprised because you're handsome! She's surprised because you're weird!" she said. "Why are you bothering her? Is it written in your book? 'Chapter Two: How to Make a Mermaid Scream Hysterically'?"
"That's an interesting idea for the next chapter," Devon chuckled. "I just wanted to say hello. But it seems my greeting was a little too... explosive." He glanced at Aqua. "Sorry for startling you. I'm Devon."
Aqua swallowed, gathering her courage. "A-Aqua Mizune," she whispered. "Why... why are you here? Humans aren't supposed to be able to..." she gestured around, at the vast ocean, "...do... this."
"I'm just a traveler," Devon replied, his standard mysterious answer. "And I can do a lot of things I shouldn't be able to do. It's part of my charm."
"See? I told you he was weird," Shia chimed in, splashing water at Devon with her tail fin. "But he's warm! And his stomach is all square!"
Aqua's cheeks flushed even more at that last comment, imagining a sight she had never seen. She stared at Devon with a mixture of fear, curiosity, and total confusion. This man was strange, harassed by a hyperactive shark girl, and spoke as if walking on water was commonplace. Her quiet and orderly world had just been turned upside down.
Devon smiled, a genuine smile this time. A meeting of three creatures from three different worlds—a god in disguise, a wild child of nature, and a shy princess—in the middle of a mirrored ocean under the light of two suns.
"Well, Aqua Mizune," Devon said, his voice now softer. "Since it seems my friend here has destroyed your comfortable hiding place, how about you join us? I promise not to fire any more water bullets." He paused for a moment, his mischievous smile returning. "...at least for the next five minutes."
The silly chase scene had ended, replaced by the beginning of an even sillier friendship.