Author Of Shadows: Redemption Across Worlds

chapter 7

Chapter 7: "A Scientist's Obsession"

Henry had never been one for cruises. The idea of being confined on a floating hotel surrounded by chattering tourists and forced pleasantries made his skin crawl. However, he found himself on that particular cruise for a singular, fanatical reason.

Henry was a scientist, but not the kind that played by society's rules. He was an eccentric genius with a mind teetering on the brink of madness. His anti-social tendencies and a penchant for the macabre had isolated him from the scientific community. He thrived on pushing the boundaries of knowledge, often disregarding ethical concerns.

On that cruise, he was searching for something beyond the ordinary, something that would further his mad experiments. It was rumored that the ocean depths held secrets that could unlock unimaginable power, and he was convinced that a mermaid, a creature thought to be mere myth, was the key.

His fellow passengers may have assumed he was seeking a relaxing escape, but his real intention was far from restful. He had brought his scientific equipment with him, ready to document and analyze anything unusual he might find beneath the waves.

So, when he saw Seraphina emerge from the depths, his heart raced with a peculiar mix of shock and exhilaration. To him, this was the culmination of his life's work, the chance to prove the existence of something that had eluded mankind for centuries. He cared not for the fantastical stories of love between mermaids and humans. He had no use for such trivial matters. For Henry, this was a scientific marvel, an obsession, and the cruise had been a fortunate accident.

As he watched Seraphina with predatory eyes, he thanked his stars for having embarked on this journey. The isolated, enigmatic figure known as Henry, standing at the precipice of the ocean's mysteries, was about to embark on an expedition that would test the boundaries of science, ethics, and his own sanity.

The encounter with the mermaid was a revelation, a confirmation of his darkest and most ambitious dreams. As Henry observed the ethereal beauty of Seraphina, he couldn't help but revel in the knowledge that his maddest experiments were about to begin.

---