I opened my eyes with endless darkness devouring me.

“Where am I? Why is it so dark?” I wondered, confusion swirling in my mind. I attempted to move my arm in search of light, hoping to assess my surroundings.

“Umm… it seems like I’m lying down on a bed,” I murmured to myself. Just as I began to relax, dismissing the terrifying thought of being kidnapped by pirates or mobsters, I noticed something unsettling.

My body felt… heavy. It was an unusual weight, as if something were restraining my movements. “Calm down,” I told myself. Panicking wouldn’t help me in this situation.

“Where am I? What happened before this?” I pressed my fingers on my temples, trying to piece back my memories.

It had been a quiet, peaceful night. We were the only ship sailing on the sea. We were sail- ing back to my kingdom with my soldiers after forging a trade deal with a distant Eastern country. We were celebrating aboard the ship, laughter and camaraderie filling the air.

Suddenly, a sweet, enchanting singing drifted toward us from nowhere. Though confused, I found myself drawn to the source of that alluring voice. All the sailors halted their work, all of them standing still, staring in the same direction.

“Bang!”

A loud noise woke us up from that situation. As we were still confused, the ship began to shake violently. “The ship hit the rocks!” someone shouted. “What? That can’t be… My crew should be watching the waters!” I started to protest, but then I realised that every- one had been distracted by that mysterious voice. “Your Highness!” One of the sailors grabbed my arm. “What should we do now? We – He did not finish his sentence. The floor beneath us began to crack, and suddenly, the entire ship split in two.

Screams, cries, and desperate prayers filled the air in chaos. The deck beneath me grew steeper and steeper, and I struggled to find something to hold onto, but I failed to. As I fell into the sea, I caught sight of a strange silhouette behind a rock.

That wasn’t a man; it was too thin for that.

That wasn’t a woman; there were no female crew members on board. That wasn’t human! No human could possess such a horrible face!

There were six of them, all sharing a ghastly visage. Sharp fangs glinted in the cold air, and their tangled black hair hung on their heads. Now, their narrowed amber eyes were fixed on me.

My memory stopped here. It clarified some of my thoughts and left me with bigger questions. “Who. what are those monsters? What happened to my crew?” The image of those

creatures reminded me of a story my late grandfather used to tell.

Sirens. Folklore says they had the upper body of a woman and the tail of a fish. Their enchanting songs lured ships to their doom, causing them to crash against the rocks. “It can’t be…” I mocked myself for such a ridiculous thought. “It was just folklore…” As I continued to wrestle with this idea, a voice suddenly rang in my ears.

“Your Highness. ?”

“Who’s there?!” I turned my head toward the source of the voice, although I still could not see anything. Strangely, the speaker seemed to know exactly where I was.

“Your Highness, don’t you remember me?” Her voice grew closer, yet I noticed the absence of footsteps as she approached.

“I’m sorry, but I don’t think I’ve heard your voice before. Who are you? Can you turn on a light? Maybe I could recognise your face if I could see it.”

“I am… I am the one who brought you out of the ocean and back to this place,” she replied softly.

“How about my crew? Did you find anyone with me?” I asked with worry.

“I am sorry, you are the only one I found. And I apologise for the darkness, but I can’t turn on any lights.”

“Why not?”

“Because there are no lights here. We don’t use them.” “What? Then how do you see in this darkness?”

“We… people have advanced sight capabilities in our land.” She responds evasively.

I wanted to learn more about this special ability, but perhaps it wasn’t the right time. “Thank you for your help, Madam. I wish I could discuss these abilities with you further…”

“Really? You do?” she interjected with enthusiasm.

“Yes, I do. But right now, my priority is to return to my country.” My thoughts turned to my parents and my people. They must be desperate with worries over my disappearance.

“I believe I’m fully recovered now. Can you take me back to my kingdom? I promise to reward you richly.”

“Oh, Your Highness, you must not return. Your legs are injured, and you need to stay here until you’re fully healed.”

“What? My legs? I don’t feel any pain. How are they hurt?” I was confused, and I attempted to move my legs to demonstrate my mobility. But then I realised I couldn’t move them freely. I couldn’t spread my legs or bend my knees. I tried to move my toes, but I felt nothing. Like they were glued together.

“What’s happening to my legs?” I struggled to sit up. “Did someone tie them together?”                         66

“Oh, Your Highness,” she said gently, pressing me back down onto the bed. “That’s why I told you not to move so vigorously.”

“Your legs have been…” She paused, searching for the right words. “. melted, together,

because of the fire.”

“That can’t be! How can I return to my kingdom and face my people in this condition?” I cried hysterically.

“Don’t worry; you don’t have to.” “What do you mean I don’t have to?”

“Because we can help you.” She moved closer. Although I couldn’t see her, I felt her breath against my skin. “All you have to do is to stay here. I don’t know how long it will take. But I promise, I will take care of you perennially.”

Her words were like magic. Despite tons of questions still swirling in my mind, I felt calm in her comfort.

“Really? You promise?”

“Yes. You have my word.” She gently patted my head like I was a child. “Don’t worry.”

I closed my eyes, surrendering to her soft voice. “You are here with me…”

“Forever and always.”*