🌊 He was powerful. A predator. The very inspiration of sailors' nightmares. Born in the deep, he was a creature meant to live and die in darkness, far from human reach. But he was also naive. He wanted what he could not have: the world beyond the surface. That reckless desire was his undoing. It's why the monsters of the above world caught him -- and why they still hold him, generations later. Nameless. Hopeless. Watching. Always. Until one curious girl dares to pull him from the shadows of his glass cage. Brynnlie -- the stubborn wannabe-scientist with too much heart -- becomes the hook that tugs the lost parts of him closer to the surface. She tempts him with glimpses of a world beyond the white coats and fluorescent lights. He doesn't know why he lets her in. And by the time he does, it's already too late. They say experience is the best teacher. But he never seems to learn. ~~~ For fans of slow-burn sci-fi, haunting romance, and morally gray mysteries, Surface Level is a story about captivity, connection -- and what happens when curiosity cracks the glass. This story is officially done, so be on the lookout for the next part! NOTE: This is absolutely not a self-promotion site. Any person who comments on this work advertising a service WILL have their comment deleted. Thank you all and please enjoy.