Run. That was the only thought in Eunbi's head. Run. Even though her lungs were struggling to catch air, her legs growing heavy and feeling like they were about to be stuck together. She felt sick, tears streaking down her face as her long brown hair flowed behind her. How could this have happened? Everything had been fine. How had it turned out like this?

Her mother was kind and beautiful, her father strict but caring. But now that she thought more about it, it should have been obvious from the start. 

   She had always known she was different somehow. She always felt drawn to the ocean, to the water. Whenever she was in it, it felt like home. She always had been able to hold her breath longer than all the other kids in school when swimming lessons had come around, her skills in swimming causing the teachers to praise her and motivate her to join the swim club. Eunbi had declined, not wanting to give up her after school hangouts with her friends. Her friends had always been captivated by the birthmarks on her neck and legs, the marks almost giving off a blue hue when the light of the sun fell on them, matching her ocean blue eyes. Brown hair and blue eyes, it was a rare thing to have. But Eunbi never thought much of it. After all, there were stranger things that could happen to the human body. Having a unusual eye and hair color combination wasn't that strange. Eunbi had always felt slightly embarrassed by the attention that her neck birthmarks gave her, growing out her hair to cover them up. She didn't like having long hair but it at least kept people from staring at her.

   Her mother had also been a source of attention from everyone as well. Her mom had been one of the most beautiful woman that anyone had laid eyes on, her beauty almost unearthly. Again, Eunbi hadn't thought much of it, more focused on spending time with her and her father. She had been happy with them, a perfect family. But it was only a matter of time before something finally cracked.

   Her mother had approached her, explaining who she really was, a mermaid who had given up the ocean to live among the humans she had been so curious about. And she had revealed who Eunbi was as well, a half human half mermaid hybrid. Eunha hadn't believed her at first, but the strange sensations in her legs that only grew stronger every day were convincing. It was approaching fast, the day that her sapphire tail would form, taking away her legs and any trace of a normal life. 

It would have all been okay, if her father hadn't reacted the way he had when the truth had been exposed to him as well. The scene was horrific, the sounds and images replaying in Eunbi's head as she ran through the cold, dark night towards the harbor. 

She was gone. Her mother was gone. Killed by her father's hands after succeeding in helping Eunbi escape out of the house window. Her father hadn't chased after her, ending his own life in a fit of rage and grief.

Tears were still spilling down her cheeks, her legs growing weaker by the second. She needed to get to the water. It would be safe there, her mother had said. But what was she supposed to do once she reached it? Once her tail formed? Could she stay here? But she had no where to go, no one to turn too. But there was no other options. 

"Come on...." Eunbi wheezed out through labored breaths, her speed slowing down as the pain and sensations in her legs grew unbearable. She was almost there, the bridge leading over the water in front of her. She just needed to jump. But would she drown? She was still half human, well, a quarter human if you really thought about it. Mermaids were already half human, right? That didn't matter, her human side could still be a problem, even if she was more mermaid than human. It was going to be a leap of faith no matter what. 

Eunbi stumbled onto the bridge, her legs almost unusable now. There was no time, she needed to jump. Now. Using all of her remaining strength, Eunbi jumped into the water, disappearing under the surface with a flash of blue light. 

It was quiet, the moonlight and stars shining through the water. Eunbi opened her eyes, afraid to move or even attempt to breathe. Could she even breathe underwater? Eunbi closed her eyes again, mustering the courage to inhale. Silence again. There was no feeling of burning, no gasping for air as her lungs filled with the water. She wasn't drowning. She......was breathing? 

Eunbi opened her eyes, looking down at what had been her legs before. The sight in front of her was something completely new. Her legs were gone, replaced with a mermaid's tail, blue scales where there had been smooth skin. It looked strange but it felt so right at the same time. But Eunbi didn't have the energy to think more about it. She was exhausted, both emotionally and physically. She was alone now, no one to look after her. She was alone. Eunbi stifled a sob, staring up at the stars from under the gentle surface of the waves. Her eyes started to close, sleep taking over her body. Resting would be okay, right? It wasn't as if she had a choice at this point, her body was going to give up on her if she didn't. Letting herself float down to the bottom of the semi deep harbor, the mermaid hybrid gave in to sleep. It would be okay. Everything was going to be okay. Right?

Wrong.

Eunbi was jolted awake, the sun shining down on the water that she was currently being