In to the ocean

Chapter 1

Jungkook leans back in his favourite armchair, relishing the comfort of the worn velvet as he flips another page. He's only playing slightly attention to the book on his lap, as what truly interest him are the muffled  voices coming from his father's study. Unfortunately, as per usual, the door remains shut, so he can't decipher more than a word or two.

"....claimed.." "....marked.."

Nothing special there, he's heard those words a thousand times before. Jungkook has grown up knowing he is marked - the faint patch of iridescent scales on his left hip has taken care of that. There is no getting away from it. He is marked by the ocean. And, one day, it will come to claim him. No one knows how, and no one knows when. Just that it is inevitable.

That hadn’t stopped his parents from trying everything in their power to prevent it though. Jungkook has spent his whole life locked away, barred from seeing anyone except trusted family and servants. Then, his parents would  invite supposed experts on curses, mythology, marine creatures - anything related to magic or the ocean - to try and find a cure.

Jungkook sighs grimly. His parents never discuss what they hear, but he knows it isn’t good news. Being marked is a mysterious, almost mythological phenomenon. No one seems to have seen the mark before, but everyone knows of it. Knows what it means. And if that isn’t enough to make Jungkook believe in the reality of this curse, he can feel it. Feel something out there calling to him. And over the years, it has grown stronger.

The door of the study bangs open, rattling on it's bent hinges. Jungkook peers over the top of his book at his father shaking hands with this newest guest, before they both take off down the hall without so much as a glance his way.

After hearing their footfalls fade into the distance, Jungkook quietly makes his way to the study. The man, he had been holding a worn leather-bound book when he arrived. If his parents aren’t going to tell him anything, maybe he can find out for himself. After all, he isn’t a little boy anymore, and they can't protect him forever.

Surprisingly, the book it self isn’t hidden away very well, and he finds it in the bottom drawer of his father's desk. Old and disheveled, it has a spindly title written in faded cursive : Encyclopedia of Mythology Fauna.

Jungkook let out a shaky breath and opens the book. The spine cracks, reveling ink-blotted pages full of scrawled notes and illustrations of creatures ranging in size and monstrosity. As if the book isn’t creepy enough on it’s own, the wind let out an eerie moan, making the candles flicker and setting Jungkook on edge. He has never heard of this book before, nor most of the creatures in it.

Then Jungkook finds a familiar name.

Species : Merfolk
Family : Sirenidae

Now this is something he recognises. Merfolk are often spoken of in stories. But his recognition ends there. The merfolk depicted here are far from the meek, harmless mermaids described to children, those that sit on rocks and comb their hair. This book has a few drawings of these creatures, each more monstrous than the last. The first has large bulbous eyes, presumably for seeing in the depths of darkness. It’s skeletal frame ends in translucent, spindly tentacles. The second has razor teeth and shark tail to match.

Jungkook turns the page and pauses. This last one is different. He is as beautiful as he is terrifying. Long dark hair flows past his waist, where his pale torso transformes in to a long dark red and black tail. Dark red gills paint his sides and his fingers are long and pointed. Jungkook gently traces along his face, where angular features highlight his sharp teeth and pitch black eyes void of any white.

Jungkook glances down at the small paragraph describing what is known of merfolk, whic provides little information. In fact, it primarily reveals how much is unknown about them, dangerous as they can be stunning. Interestingly, however Merfolk seem to possess two froms: That which they typically inhabit and th....

"Jungkook! What are you doing in here?"

Jungkook snaps the book shut and stumbles away from the desk. There stands Dalena, leaning on her cane with a withered look on her face.

"Come along now!"
Dalena gestures to the hallway.