Prologue: The King and His Prison

The king of the merfolk, desperate to save his beloved from human captivity, surrendered himself and allowed the scientists to transport him to the laboratory where his lover was held captive.

Through the echoing corridors bathed in harsh, white tube light—just like the ones in every government office—he used his dazzling beauty and haunting song to mesmerize a young lab assistant. She drew closer, heart pounding like the tabla at Ganpati visarjan, her hand trembling as she unlocked the water tank. Caught between terror and enchantment, she was pulled into a world of love, danger, and something ancient lurking beneath the glass. Her dupatta slipped as she nervously tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, unsure whether to run or stay.

That day, he nearly destroyed the entire lab. His tail, red as a cyclone’s heart, swept across the marble floors, leaving behind chaos and carnage. Blood glistened on his silver scales under the white tube light, just like rainwater catching the sun on old city streets. He lifted his lover into his arms, vanishing into the night as alarms shrieked and terrified staff scattered.

What a beautiful, tragic love story.

If only the lab worker who had been tricked into opening his water tank hadn’t been me.

*And I still dream of the blood on his tail.*