The sun broke over the horizon and splashed light upon the glorious beaches of Daeyang, but the sands were empty of all life save for a few seabirds diving here and there in hopes of catching a fish for breakfast. The waves rolled gently against the shore; the tide was moving out, and soon the water would retreat several feet, leaving a multitude of tide pools flourishing with sea life that had been trapped there. Of course, the curious mermaid didn't know all of this as she approached the shore. She was disappointed to find that there were no humans cruising the beach, for that was exactly what she had come to see. Soon, however, her eyes became drawn to the beautiful shells and tiny sea creatures decorating the floor of what would become the tide pools, so she dove below the surface to investigate. Time raced by as she examined the colorful scallop shells, played with the tiny minnows, and decorated her hair with the pretty things that she found. Hours later she swam to the surface, only to find that the rest of the ocean was far, far away. People had begun populating the beaches, but with her form of escape gone, she was terrified that one of them would discover her. She dove back into the tide pool, her heart beating furiously with fear as she tried to think of some way to escape. While she contemplated her situation, a dark shadow fell over the tide pool...