"The sea calls me, San. It always will."
"Then I'll follow, even if it takes me to the depths."
Prince San finds solace by the sea, where he encounters Wooyoung, a cursed siren bound to the ocean's depths. But as their bond deepens, the ocean's wra...
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The days after the encounter with the siren passed in a blur for San. His body moved through his royal duties as if in a trance, but his mind was far from the palace, lost in the swirling mystery of the ocean's curse. He could still feel the pull—stronger now, almost unbearable—tugging at him, whispering Wooyoung's haunting song in the back of his mind.
Wooyoung. The name hung heavy in San's thoughts, a name that shouldn't belong to a creature like him. Yet it made him more human, more real. The connection between them, impossible as it seemed, felt unshakable, even though every instinct in San screamed at him to walk away, to break free before it was too late.But how could he? How could he walk away after everything he'd seen, everything he'd felt?Seonghwa's warnings echoed in his mind, the fear in his brother's eyes when he had finally confessed the truth about the siren.
Seonghwa had tried, in vain, to convince him to stay away from the shore. He had even gone to their father, hoping to have the coastline watched or guarded, but the king had dismissed the tale as mere superstition. Seonghwa had grown more desperate, more protective, following San's every move. But it was no use. The siren's call was relentless.
San sat in his chambers, staring out at the sea beyond the palace walls. The waves were calm today, the surface of the water smooth like glass, as if the storm had never been. But San knew better. The ocean was never truly calm. Beneath its stillness lurked something dark, something dangerous.A soft knock on the door pulled him from his thoughts. "Come in," he said, his voice flat.The door creaked open, and Seonghwa stepped into the room. His face was tense, worry lines etched deep into his brow.
"San, we need to talk."
San didn't look at him, his gaze still fixed on the horizon. "You're going to tell me to stay away from him again."Seonghwa sighed, closing the door behind him. "I don't know what else to say. I don't know what's happening to you, but whatever it is, it's not natural. You've been distant, distracted. You're barely eating, barely sleeping. And I know it's because of that creature."
San clenched his jaw, frustration bubbling up inside him. "You don't understand, Seonghwa.""Then make me understand!"
Seonghwa snapped, his voice sharper than usual. "You say this siren isn't dangerous, but everything about him—everything about this situation—is wrong. You're not the same, San. You're slipping away, and I'm terrified of what's going to happen if you don't stop."
San's hands balled into fists in his lap. "He's not what you think he is. He doesn't want to hurt me."Seonghwa stared at him, his expression a mix of disbelief and anger. "You're being naive! The stories—""The stories are wrong!" San interrupted, finally turning to face his brother.
