Joohyun worked at the local ramen shop for their small town. It was family owned, her mother, father, and younger sister waking up at 7 am to drive to work and start setting up for their lunchtime opening. Her mother and sister worked in the back after doors opened, putting together bowl after bowl of mouthwatering noodles. Her father worked the register. And Joohyun served, leading customers to their tables with a shy smile and serving just as quietly.

It would’ve made more sense for Joohyun’s younger sister to take over the serving role, being the more gregarious and boisterous one of the two. But the town had grown used to Joohyun moving absently between tables, delivering bowls to regulars without a word and taking orders with only a nod to show that she’d heard. The locals said that there were two siren songs calling from the Bae ramen shop; the savory smell of the simmering broth and Bae Joohyun’s gentle smile. From 11-2 and again from 6-9, the ramen shop was packed as people left work, the same people showing up day in and day out.

Joohyun had finished high school but hadn’t decided whether or not she wanted to continue on to college. It wasn’t a bad life, working alongside her family. At the same time, she wondered if there was something more out there for her.

At close, her family packed up shop. But instead of leaving with them, she’d taken up the habit of wandering to the beach. This late at night, the fishermen had gone home, and even the last of the beach crawlers had disappeared, leaving just her and the waves and the sky. Seeing the stars shine so brightly soothed her as she wondered whether she should leave.

One night, she was out on the beach after a long day. Most days they only had regulars, the people she knew by name and order and preferred seat. Today, a new group of people were passing through the town and she’d had to endure their pick-up lines, their complaints that they couldn’t hear her, that they only offered three dishes, that she wasn’t smiling enough. She didn’t know what she did to inspire such behavior. When she looked into the mirror, she saw the same dark eyes as her mother and sister. A nose, a mouth. A normal face for a normal girl. And yet...

As she sighed to herself, she caught a snatch of song drawn to her by the wind. It sounded like singing; the most beautiful singing she had ever heard. She stood up, brushing sand from her pants, and walked towards the music. Perhaps it was a bad idea; who knew who else would be on the beach at 11 at night. But something made her want to see the source of the song, if only from far away. She walked and walked, but as she did, the singing grew louder and she couldn’t be upset. It was the most beautiful sound she’d ever heard, more beautiful than any violin or flute. It caressed her ears, fluttered around her head, dived and soared ahead of her. She followed it mindlessly, entranced.

Eventually she came out to a partly secluded stretch of beach. The song was coming from around a edge of an outcropping. It was a bad decision, this late at night; this dark out, this secluded. She turned the corner.

Sitting on a rock was the most beautiful woman she’d ever seen. She was entirely , the moonlight gleaming on her skin like the surface of a pearl. Her hair was dark and long, curling over her s with the faintest allusion to modesty. Her eyes had been closed, but fluttered open as Joohyun gasped, revealing deep brown eyes that glimmered in amusement. However, the most startling aspect wasn’t her ness, or the angelic song that had been pouring from her lips, but the long iridescent blue wings folded neatly against her back.

“Now this wasn’t what I’d intended to lure in,” the girl said, stretching her wings out to a massive distance before settling them back in and flipping her hair back. “What are you doing here?”

“I- I...” Joohyun gulped, her eyes not knowing where to land— on the girl’s startling deep blue feathers, or her questioning eyes, or on the far too much pale skin on display. She yanked her eyes upward, resolving to at least spare the girl as much modesty as she could— not that the girl seemed to care, sprawled with a hand curling enticingly over a hip. “What... are you?”

The girl laughed, a startlingly high tinkle after the rich melody from before. She seemed to sense Joohyun’s discomfort and swung her legs around to the front, knees bent to tuck her feet next to her. “What do you think?”

“A...” She couldn’t seem to say it out loud, but the girl could see the answer in her face. She smiled even more broadly.

“It’s late out for humans. Especially late for human women. You should go home and stay safe.”

“I was planning on it... until I heard your song.”

The girl laughed again. “My song only calls men. You have no business being here.”

Joohyun frowned. “But it was still beautiful.”

“Well...” Was that a shy smile? “Perhaps it still called to some want in you.”

“What— I—“

The girl laughed again over Joohyun’s stammering, and Joohyun could feel her cheeks getting red. Apparently even with a supernatural being she could make a fool of herself when she opened . “Not necessarily that sort of want. Although it wouldn’t bother me... Any sort of deep-seated want would do. But you’re still not a man.”

Joohyun shrugged. “I just wanted to see who was singing.”

“And now you have. What’s your name?”

Joohyun opened to answer, then paused for a moment. Taking a breath, she decided to give the girl the name close to her heart. The name she gave herself when she imagined herself far from this sleepy town and the ramen shop. “My name’s Irene.”

“Wendy. Now please go home, Irene. Be safe. Plug your ears and don’t look back.”

Biting her lip, Irene brought her hands to her ears. Wendy gave her a nod and a smile before opening to sing once more. She walked back towards the town, hands pressed over her ears as requested. But when she was far enough away, Irene dropped her hands and let herself hear the music. It was still heart-rendingly beautiful, but she was still able to lift her feet one after the other to walk away, Wendy’s face seared into her mind.

It was hard to wake up the next morning after staying out later than usual. Her sister had to drag her out of bed. She tutted at the bags under Joohyun’s eyes and about meeting a boy as Joohyun swatted her away. Joohyun applied concealer under her eyes and grimaced through a cup of coffee before getting into the car. Thankfully it was a quiet day filled with regulars whose orders she could fill without thinking, which was a blessing as she felt asleep on her feet.

It was when she while she was serving that she heard it. She brought the normal bowl of beef ramen to the lanky businessman who always sat in the corner. As she turned to leave, he stopped her.

“Did you hear about the man found dead on the beach?”

Joohyun’s eyes widened, she shook her head.

“It was just on the radio,” he said, tapping his phone. “He was found dead with no sign of how he died. But he didn’t drown. I heard you like to go to the beach at night; please be safe Joohyun-ssi.”

“Th-thank you,” she said with a small bow. “I’ll remember that. Please enjoy your lunch.”

“I’ll eat well.”

Joohyun rushed to the back, hands shaking slightly at her sides. She knew what— who had killed him. She remembered the bright faced girl, no, siren smiling at her so gently the night before. She remembered the sweet song she had sang. Pulling up an article on her phone while her sister yelled at her, she saw the face of the man Wendy killed. She felt faint.

“Unnie! Stop texting and get these orders out! It’s lunch rush!”

“I will!” She tucked her phone away and took a deep breath before taking the next bowl.

“Are you alright, unnie?” her sister asked with a frown.

“I’m alright.”

She was alright. She met the siren and survived. She hadn’t met the man that died. She was in no way connected to him except for the fact that she had met his murderer.

She didn’t go to the beach that night.

Her family didn’t question her; in fact, her mom was relieved to see her in the car as everyone had heard the news between lunch and dinner rush. Her mom kept saying, ‘I’m glad it wasn’t you’.

Joohyun thought, ‘It could have been me’.

It wasn’t, and so she lived to wake up to another day of serving ramen.

A week passed and no one else showed up dead on the beach. There was still no sign of how he died, and so police were tentatively suggesting that no foul play was involved. Joohyun kept tightly shut on the matter and slowly began walking back down to the beach again.

There was no music for a month, and so she began to walk along her old stomping grounds, mindlessly wandering the stretch of beach every night. Then one night, the song was back. This time she could hear Wendy loudly the moment she approached the beach. She made to leave, but Wendy had already spotted her and gestured towards her with a smile. When she started to turn around anyways, Wendy drew herself up to her feet, wings fluttering out to their full length, and began walking towards her. Joohyun found she couldn’t move.

“Why are you back, Irene? Why aren’t you safely at home?” Wendy was right in front of her, arms folded across her chest.

“I- I always come out here. It’s nice.” She wanted to look at the ground, but Wendy was so close that it meant her eyes had to sweep over the expanse of Wendy’s legs, still bare. She was forced instead to meet the siren’s soft gaze.

“It’s dangerous. Humans are taught not to walk alone at night, right?”

Joohyun could feel herself shaking, remembering the man who had died here over a month ago. “Am I in danger from you?”

“You could be,” Wendy said, leaning in. Joohyun couldn’t look away from the sharp gaze, only exhaling when the siren finally moved back. “But you’re not. From me anyways. I’m not the only one who is out here.” The siren finally folded her wings inward and settled her weight into one hip, effortlessly seductive.

Joohyun didn’t look. “Why did you kill that man?”

“Why do you eat?” Wendy countered. “I take only the souls who have some want nestled deep within them.”

“Do... are the souls gone forever?”

Wendy shook her head. “I consume them, then they are sent onwards. From there, I don’t know. It’s not a journey I’ll ever take.”

“Is it necessary?”

“It’s the only sustenance available to me. Without it I’ll live, but wither and waste away to stone just like you would waste away to dust.”

“I see...”

“Look at you, a human questioning a siren. You should go home before you end up courting someone even more dangerous.”

Joohyun drew up her courage as Wendy made to turn away. “Are you planning on killing someone else tonight?”

“Planning on warning away my dinner?” Wendy laughed. “ But I haven’t eaten in weeks.”

“Don’t whine at me; it’s a person, not a bowl of rice!” Joohyun exclaimed, startling even herself.

Thankfully this only inspired another round of laughter from Wendy. “I’m a siren, not a human. Please go home safely; I don’t want to see you wandering out here again. Good night, Irene.”

“Good night...” Wendy continued standing where she was, shooing her away with quick flicks of the wrists, so Irene sighed and walked away. Right as she reached the spot where concrete met sand, she heard the song begin again. There was no else in the parking lot, so she left with as clear of a conscience as she could ask for.

There, of course, was another body on the beach the next morning. Her father warned her away from the beach as her mother fretted with her eyes glistening. Neither of them forbid her from going; she was 19, almost 20, and so doing so would be futile. She stayed away from the beach for a week.

“Irene, I meant it when I said I didn’t want to see you on the beach.” Wendy was there again, her beauty just as striking. This time Irene walked up to her herself.

“I have just as much right to be here.”

“It’s for your safety,” Wendy protested. This time the siren was forced to sigh at Irene’s set jaw. “You’re not scared of me anymore.”

“You haven’t eaten my soul yet.”

“I bet it’d be tasty.” Wendy smirked and drew a finger down the outside of Irene’s arm. Irene shivered. When did the siren get so close? “Come sit then.” Wendy patted the sand beside her, and Irene cautiously settled in.

“Don’t you ever get cold out here?” Irene shrugged off her cardigan before Wendy could answer. She handed it over to the siren who seemed startled to find it in her hands.

“What am I supposed to do with this?” Wendy laughed. Irene didn’t think she’d ever quite get used to the chiming sound. “I have wings.” She threaded her arms into the sweater anyways, wearing it backwards. Bringing her hands up to her face, she sniffed the sweater. “It smells weird.”

Joohyun leaned over to sniff at one of Wendy’s arms. “It smells like my fabric softener.” She frowned.

“It’s not bad. Just weird. I’ve never smelled this before.” She curled the too long ends of the sweater into her fists, wrapping her arms around her.

“So you were cold.”

“I don’t get cold, but this is soft. I like it.”

“You can have it. It covers you up.”

“Does my chest bother you?” Wendy smirked before smiling a gentler smile than Irene had seen yet from the siren. “No, I have no use for this. The sea will ruin it.” She paused. “It won’t smell like this either.”

“That’s fair,” Irene allowed.

For a moment, they both simply stared, Irene up at the sky, Wendy at her.

“I suppose if you are going to be out here, it’s safer if you’re with me.”

“Then how will you eat?”

“I don’t need to sleep, unlike you. I can wait until you leave. Are you worrying about me?”

“I don’t know.” Wendy nudged her with a shoulder that was surprisingly warm even through the sweater. “I’m not sure if I should worry or be horrified to be honest.”

“You can be both. It’s possible.”

“But I’ve given you my sweater.”

“And I will return it.” Wendy shrugged out of the grey cardigan, piling it on Irene’s lap. “If you insist on coming out here, please don’t follow any other song. There are songs that would entice you, so I’d prefer if you never came here alone. And there are worst things than sirens, when I haven’t been here for a while. Don’t go too near the sea.”

“That I can do.” She stood up, putting the cardigan back on; unlike Wendy, the wind coming off the ocean chilled her. The sweater still smelled faintly of lavender and detergent but had also picked up a scent of salt and spice. Irene felt dizzy as she inhaled it.

“Go home safely, Irene.”

“Good night Wendy.”

Upon her return, she hung the sweater up in her closet instead of tossing in her laundry basket. Sheepishly, she smelled it again before going to sleep and she dreamt of endless waves and moonlit skin.

No one mentioned any deaths on the beach that night. Irene walked down to the sand, rolling her shoulders and letting shy Joohyun slip away. She smiled at the stars.

“Are you that happy to see me?” Unlike every other time they had met, Wendy was back for a second night. She hadn’t even been singing; Irene hadn’t been alerted to her presence at all.

“Why are you still here?” Irene asked even as she took the offered spot next to Wendy in the sand.

“No dinner for me.”

“No one came to the song of a siren?”

Wendy shrugged, the motion of her bare shoulders mesmerizing Irene for a moment. “The city is loud. Sometimes it’s too loud.” She ran a finger over the fabric of Irene’s sweater for the day. “A new one. It looks fluffier.”

“Want it?”

“What am I supposed to do with a pullover sweater?”

“You can still pull it over your arms like the cardigan and it’s still soft.”

Wendy frowned for a moment, then nodded, reaching out as Irene tugged her sweater off. Quickly, Wendy jammed her arms into it, hugging it into her chest and inhaling. “Mmmm... Fabric softener. Why don’t all humans smell like this?”

“Because not everyone likes to do laundry like I do.”

“Oh. Fabric softener is something you put on clothes while you do laundry?”

Irene laughed, then laughed again at Wendy’s affronted expression.

“I don’t have clothes; you’re lucky I know what laundry is!”

“It’s a liquid you put into the washing machine to make everything softer.”

“I could tell what it did from the name,” Wendy said dryly, but ruined the effect by burying her nose back into the fabric. “I don’t know much about normal human life, obviously. What do you do up there?” She jutted her head back towards the city.

Irene rubbed her hands along her arms; it was getting chilly out by the sea, but it was worth it for the admittedly cute sight in front of her. “I work at a ramen shop. Noodles,” she clarified at Wendy’s confused expression.

“Noodles. I know about noodles. So you sell noodles.”

“Yeah....” Irene paused. “Have you ever eaten? Like, human food?”

Wendy shook her head. “No; my body would reject it; I only look like you in order to lure in my prey. I don’t think my mouth is attached to anything like a stomach, honestly. Perhaps something like lungs so I can produce sound.”

“Do you even taste?” Irene thought for a moment. “Do souls taste like anything?”

“Hmmm..." Wendy brought a finger to her chin as she thought the question over. "I don’t think it’s taste like you know it. Some souls are brighter than others and those are a little more pleasant than others. But in the end, they all are just energy for me. I know of taste, perhaps.”

“Then you wouldn’t know what I mean if I try to describe ramen. Savory... salty...”

Wendy shook her head.

“Savory is more... rich. Dark. It’s like a warm taste...”

Irene tried to figure out how to translate taste into terms that made sense to Wendy. She wasn’t sure whether it worked, but Wendy smiled at her so attentively that she wasn’t sure it mattered. She never realized that she had this many words inside her. At one point while she was trying to describe the sweetness of strawberries, Wendy nestled into her side. The feeling of Wendy’s bare shoulder against her own first made her jump, then shiver despite the supernatural warmth of Wendy’s skin. But she relaxed into it as Wendy wrapped a sweater clad arm around hers.

For the next month, every time she walked down to the beach, Wendy was there. She got into the habit of bringing an extra sweater. The one she was wearing she’d pass to Wendy, who insisted on it. She refused to acknowledge the fact that she’d take the trouble to change back into the sweater worn by Wendy on the way home, once out of sight. The salty smell laced with spice had become a comfort.

After the first few days, Irene stopped asking whether Wendy had found something to eat; she knew she hadn’t because there was nothing on the news and Wendy wouldn’t elaborate beyond a shrug anyways. Instead each day they nestled into the sand, staring at the stars (Irene occasionally stared at Wendy, cheeks warming), and talking. Wendy had a million questions about how humans lived and traded answers for stories about being a siren. She had been alive for almost two centuries and never seemed to run out of small anecdotes despite claiming to have never left the seaside. The more time they spent together, the more time the sharp tongued siren seemed to melt into someone softer, more approachable.

Irene slowly got used to Wendy leaning into her and before long she was wrapping herself around Wendy’s arm and nuzzling into the other girl’s shoulder before Wendy could reach out. She felt safe and warm and the siren seemed to appreciate it. One day she even dared to run her fingers along the groove between Wendy’s wing and her back to feel the soft downy feathers, getting her first ever shiver from Wendy who never felt the cold.

Wendy hadn’t sung in weeks; her voice and its haunting melody seemed almost like a dream. That night, the siren didn’t even turn at her approach. Her wings were drawn in tight, arms tucked around her drawn in knees. Her skin was pale as always, but Irene could see an ashen tone instead of the normal luminous hue.

She planted herself down in front of the siren who wearily smiled at her.

“What’s wrong Wendy?”

“I...” She kept smiling a lopsided smile as she murmurred, “I’m so hungry...”

“You haven’t eaten in a long time,” Irene berated her, although she could hear the worry seep into her voice. “Why?”

Wendy shrugged and sighed, dropping her head to rest on her knees. “If I eat, I’ll have to leave for a while. For a long while. I’ve eaten here too many months in a row.”

“But you need something— “

“And I...” Wendy looked up and for the first time Irene truly saw vulnerability in the siren’s eyes. “I didn’t want you to think badly of me.”

“Wendy...” Irene knelt in close, moving both her hands up to run her fingers through the other girl’s hair, then along the sides of her face, her arms. “You have to eat to survive.”

“I’ll still live.”

“It’s not worth it. You said you’d turn into stone.”

“I kill humans to eat, Irene.”

“I know.”

Wendy leaned in suddenly, pressing her nose and mouth against Irene’s neck. Irene heard her inhale. “You smell so good, Irene,” the siren whispered. “So bright.”

Irene didn’t move, shivering under the sensation. She waited a beat, then another. When Wendy only breathed, she pulled away.

“You have to eat tonight.”

“I...”

“I’ll stay with you.”

“Irene, you can’t...”

Irene took both of Wendy’s hands in hers. “It’s fine, I’ll look away. I won’t know him, so it doesn’t matter. It’s fine.”

“Is it?”

When Irene nodded, Wendy clutched Irene’s hands tighter and opened . Irene hadn’t realized how much she had missed the siren’s song until she heard it again, ethereal and haunting. She leaned her forehead on Wendy’s knees, simply listening. At one point she felt a tap on her shoulder and Irene sat up. Wendy was looking over her own shoulder and Irene followed her gaze to spot the man who was dazedly wandering towards them. Wendy made to pull away, but Irene stood up with her, keeping one of their hands firmly clasped together.

They walked together towards the man, Wendy singing all the while. Irene was so used to the cute image of Wendy cuddled up in her sweaters that she’d forgotten that Wendy was made to entice. Even with Irene holding on, every step sent one of Wendy’s hips out seductively, her free hand grazing over the surface of her thigh, her hip. Irene had to look away.

Wendy kept singing even as she hooked her free arm over the back of the man’s neck to force him to bend over. Despite her vibrant presence, the siren was even shorter than Irene. She kept singing as she leaned towards the man’s ear, hand tracing patterns along his arm and shoulder. The singing only stopped when Wendy finally placed on the man’s neck.

Wendy squeezed Irene’s hand for a moment, then two, then the man collapsed in a heap at their feet. Irene could see firsthand how close to death she’d been with the siren’s lips on her own neck. But she trusted Wendy.

Said siren turned to her, eyes gleaming with a light Irene hadn’t realized they’d lost over the past month. For a moment her breath caught in .

“I have to go now. I don’t know when I’ll be back.” Wendy hadn't let go of her hand.

“I’ll come to the beach as always,” Irene promised.

“I wish you wouldn’t,” Wendy frowned.

“I won’t approach anyone else.”

“You might not have a choice.” But Wendy sighed. “Perhaps I’ll see you again.”

“You have to come back.”

Wendy only hummed, but just when Irene was about to speak again, Wendy raised up on her tiptoes to plant a quick kiss onto Irene’s cheek before finally dropping Irene’s hand.

“Goodbye Irene.”

“Goodbye Wendy.” Irene felt the liquid on her cheeks before she even knew she was crying.

“Stay safe.” Wendy began to walk toward the ocean, wings spreading outwards.

“Goodbye--” Irene watched in shock as she saw Wendy lift off from the ground for the first time, then came to her senses and ran after her. She stumbled over the sand, then the waves, calling out all the while. She moved until she was waist deep in the water, waves dragging at her body while Wendy had already disappeared against the night sky. Irene’s lips tasted like the ocean.

For a moment she simply stood and stared at the stars, but they didn’t bring her comfort like they used to. Eventually, she dragged herself from the sea and wandered home. No one was awake, so no one saw stagger in with her entire lower body drenched through with saltwater and her eyes red. She peeled off the wet clothes and threw them in the bathtub before collapsing on her bed. Her sister came to wake her up the next day and immediately announced to her mother that she would be serving instead of Joohyun for the day.

She slept. She slept the entire day and the next night. Her father brought her soup, leftover broth from the shop, and checked her temperature. She wasn’t sick. She was just tired. She didn’t eat the broth.

For a full week she stayed in bed. She sipped at water and at broth in turns but otherwise hibernated under her blankets. Her family left her alone for the most part, finally hiring the extra pair of hands they had always meant to. Someone woke her up each night as they arrived home from the shop, pressing a cup into her hands until she drank. At one point they called a doctor, but Joohyun wasn’t sure what the diagnosis was; she’d let the doctor take her measurements then curled back over.

Finally, on the eighth day, she stumbled out of bed, muscles stiff, and pulled herself into the shower. She made her way downstairs and sipped on broth from the fridge at the kitchen table while staring out of the window at the blue sky. She scared everyone when they walked in to find her sitting motionless. She went back to work the next day.

The new girl they had hired was named Seulgi. It was her third day on the job when Joohyun returned to the shop. She was clumsy and forgetful, but she had a smile as bright as the sun. She could see that the regulars liked her, easily forgiving her mistakes and even taking bowls they didn’t order or redirecting her to the right table.

A few people murmured welcome back and wished her well, easily accepting her quiet return. She smiled less than before, but she had never smiled all that often. It was easy to fall back into the routine, only now she had to run less and point Seulgi to the right table more.

Seulgi was thankfully fairly unobtrusive. She had introduced herself that first day with a wide grin, frowning with Joohyun hardly spoke. But she seemed to get used to Joohyun’s subdued presence soon enough. She would chatter cheerily without expecting a response, and Joohyun had to admit it made the store brighter.

Two weeks later, she finally made her way back to the beach. Despite being prepared for it, Wendy’s absence still stung. She took a deep breath and settled into the sand regardless, staying far back from the ocean as Wendy had requested. She looked up at the stars again.

She eased back into the habit, each time soothing a bit of the ache the siren’s absence had left behind. It didn’t make much sense to Joohyun. She had expected to feel more torn up about the man she had watched die. His limp body had laid at her feet. But instead what she returned to was deep brown eyes and dark blue wings.

She spoke more to Seulgi during the day. Unlike other people who approached her, drawn by either her beauty or the challenge, the teddy bear-like girl seemed to have no ulterior motive. She seemed only to want a friend to talk to, and Joohyun tried to open up more bit by bit. It was surprisingly helpful, and she felt herself returning to the girl she was months ago, even if there was an extra sadness still hiding in her heart.

But every night, she still made her way down to the beach, her eyes first scanning the beach for blue wings before she let herself turn to the sky. She had Seulgi’s number in her phone but didn’t invite the girl along, even months after Wendy had left. In a way, Seulgi’s presence made her evening star gazing more necessary; now that the shop had Seulgi, she wasn’t as needed. She could leave.

Six months later, and she hadn't left. That night, she had barely stepped foot on the sand before she heard Wendy yell out, voice like the gong of a bell. Irene saw Wendy, then caught sight of a tremendous dark shape from behind the siren. But she didn’t have a chance to even register what Wendy had said, or even her appearance itself.  Wendy looked over her shoulder and immediately rose up into the air, flying faster than Irene thought possible for something Wendy’s size. She found herself in Wendy’s arms in the next moment, her own arms instinctively moving to wrap around Wendy’s neck as her feet left the ground. Her stomach churned as she realized they were only going higher. She buried her face into Wendy’s shoulder, trying not to panic while hearing the siren’s breathing growing heavy.

“We have to lose it,” Wendy muttered. Irene didn’t reply; she’d prefer Wendy to save her breath. It would also mean untucking her face from where she was hiding.

She had no sense of time up in the air, just fear. She didn't dare to open her eyes, instead trusting in Wendy's ability to get them away safely. It was all she could do. Eventually, Wendy landed at the entrance of a cave. She didn’t give Irene a moment to adjust to being back on the ground, instead tucking in her wings and tugging at Irene’s arms to pull her forward. Irene almost tripped but was bolstered by one of Wendy’s wings that extended for just a moment.

They ran deeper and deeper into the cave, taking turns seemingly at random. Irene didn’t even attempt to keep track, instead clutching desperately to Wendy’s hand. At one point, they took a downward turn, and the small bits of light seeping in from cracks and gaps in the rock overhead disappeared. Irene couldn’t help but let out a sob when they were left in complete darkness, leading Wendy to stop only long enough to swing Irene into her arms and keep moving. Irene could feel panic bubbling up in her chest for the second time that night; she tried to keep it at bay by counting Wendy’s footfalls. It was the only thing that seemed to exist besides Wendy’s arms holding her up, and even that she felt like she could doubt as she was jostled around with nothing to orient herself to.

Just when she felt she would scream, Wendy slowed, then came to a stop, lowering Irene to the ground. Irene had no sense of where the ground was and accidentally pitched herself forward in trying to feel for it, falling to her hands and knees. The fall jostled her from Wendy’s arms and she couldn’t hold back the ragged yell as she found herself entirely alone in the dark.

“Wendy, please, Wendy where are you, Wendy—” She didn’t stop even as hands appeared in hers, tugging with all her strength to pull them down to her. She felt the other figure lower to the ground. “Wendy please, Wendy please speak, it’s so dark, I can’t see—”

“It’s me-- it’s me, Irene.”

Irene launched herself towards the voice shamelessly, her hands finding Wendy’s legs, then waist, then shoulders. She crawled into Wendy’s lap with another cry she couldn’t bite back, curling herself up to tuck her head into the siren’s neck. Wendy’s arms came to rest on her lower back. She sung softly into Irene’s ear as Irene rode out her sobbing hiccups.

“Do you feel better now?” Wendy asked when Irene had finally stilled.

“Yeah… But don’t leave me.” She reached back to wrap her fingers around Wendy’s wrist in a bruising grip.

“I would never.”

“Please don’t,” Irene pleaded, regardless of Wendy’s response. “I can’t stand the dark.”

“I can still see, and I’ll make sure you’re okay.” Irene felt the hand she hadn’t taken hostage tuck the hair that had fallen from her ponytail behind her ear. “If I took us far enough, it should’ve lost track of us. We can leave soon.”

“What was it?”

“It hunts souls, particularly bright ones. You could say it’s like me, but once it has ahold of a soul, the soul is gone forever.”

Irene didn’t quite grasp the gravity of the situation, but she could feel Wendy trembling underneath her and that alone frightened her.

“And what about you? Do you have a soul for it to take?”

“Do you think so little of me? That I don’t even have a soul?” Wendy’s laugh sounded muffled in . “Me too, if it were to get me. But I can defend myself against it.” There was a pause, and Wendy’s hand turned to grab onto Irene’s wrist just as tightly as Irene was holding onto hers. “I couldn’t let it have your soul. I won’t ever.”

“Don’t you ever get caught and leave me.”

“I promise.”

They both fell silent. Irene kept her attention on Wendy’s breathing heavy at her ear and the painful prickling of her hand as Wendy’s tight grip stopped the blood flow. The other girl was warm beneath her and still smelled of salt and spice. She took every breath gratefully.

“It should be gone now.”

“Thank god.” Wendy let go of her wrist and Irene hissed as the blood flowed back into her abused hand and arm. It was all she could do to not let out a string of curses, but in a way, she was grateful for the distraction as she pulled herself up off the other girl. One of Wendy’s hands never left her, and eventually Wendy drew her in to pick her back up once Irene stopped frantically shaking her hand out .

The way out was easier to manage, despite it taking longer. Wendy sang soothingly, and Irene wrapped a piece of Wendy’s hair around her finger over and over. It wasn’t long before they could hear the muffled roar of the ocean, and the sound comforted Irene until they finally ascended the ramp and found slivers of light for Irene’s eyes to fix on.

Even when Irene could see, Wendy kept her clutched against her chest until they made it back out to the opening of the cave, and she could lower them both down to the sand. Neither of them moved even then, Irene content to remain in Wendy’s lap, Wendy seemingly content to hold her.

“I missed you,” Irene confessed into the other girl’s neck.

Wendy stilled, the hand carding through Irene’s hair coming to a stop. “I… missed you too... I missed the smell of fabric softener.”

Irene snorted as Wendy laughed at herself. “Fabric softener is everywhere. You could even get your own.”

“I don’t have money, remember?”

“Oh my god.” Irene laughed and laughed until she cried. Wendy chuckled, but mostly just held her, returning her attention to Irene’s hair. Irene eventually settled back down, the energy that had come as they emerged back into the light dissipating just as quickly. “I’m so tired…”

“Here.” Wendy guided Irene to lay down on the sand, placing herself along Irene’s back. To her shock, Wendy also lowered one blue wing to rest as a blanket over her, the feathers soft against her skin. “Rest; I’ll keep watch.”

She kept being asked to place her life in Wendy's hands over and over. She still trusted her. Clutching the arm wrapped over her chest, Irene fell asleep within minutes.

Irene awoke, disoriented as she came to on a beach she didn’t know. She did know the wing tucked against her and turned easily in Wendy’s hold.

“Do you feel rested?”

“I do,” Irene said, although she immediately yawned afterwards.

“Being human seems like such a fuss,” Wendy commented, but she had a fond smile on her face and so Irene didn’t bother to respond. “It’s time to get up.” Wendy drew her wing aside, and with the sudden cold, Irene reluctantly pulled herself upright.

“How far out are we?”

“We’re not on the same coast anymore.”

“You flew us across an entire ocean?” Irene wondered if it were appropriate to fall back to her knees again.

“If we didn’t escape, my life and your soul was on the line. And it wasn’t a wide stretch; just to the island east of your country.” Wendy didn’t look particularly shaken by the thought of having flown them to Japan. “But now I have to get you back.”

“Are you sure you can handle that?”

“I wouldn’t leave you here to figure out how to get home. Besides, afterwards I’ll need to find another place to feed.” She reached her arms out, but Irene stood up and stepped backwards. Wendy had proven that she could cross the distance before Irene could even inhale, but she simply frowned.

“Do you mean you’re going to take me home and leave me there alone? After you promised me you wouldn’t?” Irene felt like a child whining for her parents to stay home, but she didn’t think she could handle Wendy leaving yet again.

“Not forever, but I can’t keep taking men from your town. It’s safest if I spread out my appearances there so I can make sure nothing tries to claim the area, but no one is going to notice the disappearances. I…” She paused, and her next words sounded like a confession. “I stayed far too long the first time.”

Irene closed her eyes, feeling her hands shake. “So you mean that you won’t leave for good, but I might see you every six months…?” Her voice cracked as Wendy didn't answer. “A… year?”

“It’s suspicious for dead men to show up on the beach every six months, Irene.”

“But what if that… that thing shows up again?”

Wendy didn’t respond immediately, and Irene opened her eyes to find the siren grimacing. “It could. I’ve shown my hand and that makes you that much more enticing.”

They both stood in silence, Wendy watching Irene, Irene turning her gaze to the low hanging cloud cover overhead. She thought of her parents and sister back home. She thought of the ramen shop and serving the same customers day in and day out. She thought of Seulgi, and the way her smile brightened the shop in a way hers couldn’t. Whether or not she was there, the days would unfold just as they always had, unchanging even with the seasons.

“Take me with you.”

“Irene?”

“Take me with you,” Irene demanded again, this time stepping forward into Wendy’s space. The siren looked unfazed, even as their faces were a mere hand’s width apart and she had to look up to see Irene. “If you can’t come to me, let me go with you.”

Wendy seemed to be considering the idea. “I couldn’t take you with me as a human. It’d be too much for both of us.”

“But—”

Wendy looked her in the eye, their noses almost close enough to touch. “Are you sure about this? Is this really what you want?”

“Yes.”

“There’s absolutely no changing your decision.”

“Yes. Yes, this is what I want. Let me come with you.”

“Alright.”

Wendy’s hands pulled at Irene’s sweater, tugging it down one arm without moving away. Irene pulled the other sleeve off as Wendy began plucking away at the buttons of Irene’s blouse. Her gaze never left Irene’s, seemingly searching for any sign of regret. Irene didn’t understand, but she joined her fingers to Wendy’s, unlatching the last few buttons and letting her sleeves slip from her shoulders and off her arms. Finally, Wendy reached around her and unclasped her bra, tossing it aside. Irene shivered as the sea chilled wind blew against her back.

“Are you sure?” Wendy was still close enough for her question to warm Irene’s lips. She inhaled the words in.

“Yes.”

Their noses grazed past each other as Wendy leaned in even closer. Irene breathed in every breath Wendy exhaled, tasting salt on her tongue. Wendy’s bottom lip brushed against hers, impossibly soft, before Irene finally closed the distance with her own lips.

She could hear her heart beating in her ears as Wendy’s lips moved against hers. A tension she never realized she had been holding faded into a heat that settled deep in her belly. Even the feel of Wendy’s fingers gently sweeping down the sides of her bare arms left her shivering.

Irene mewled as Wendy pulled away, but the other girl quickly ducked her head back to capture Irene’s lips once more before lifting her up into her arms. Sharp pains began to stab at Irene’s back and stomach, and she clutched tightly to Wendy, who simply carried her forward into the sea. She stopped walking only when Irene was  a few inches above the water, leaning in to leave one more kiss on Irene’s cheek.

“I’ll see you soon,” she said, then let Irene fall into the ocean.

Far past the time any human could survive underwater, Irene emerged, brushing her wet hair from her face. She kicked off her shoes and stepped out of her wet jeans and underwear. She shook out her wings, droplets flying in all directions.

“Purple,” Wendy commented, stepping forward to glide her fingers over the new feathers. “These are even more ostentatious than mine.”

“It’s not like I had a choice,’ Irene replied absently, curling a wing around herself to inspect them herself. “It’s more like lavender.”

“Lavender, then.” Wendy ran her hand over the top of the wing nearest her, digging her fingers into the feathers. Irene melted into the touch. She sighed when Wendy pulled away, although she was compensated with a quick kiss. “It’s time to go.”

Irene watched as Wendy took off, flapping her wings once, then twice before getting the proper traction and lifting into the air. Flying settled into her easily, and she caught up with Wendy hovering overhead. They flew away side by side, blue and lavender feathers almost touching.