Weeks passed, and Ren's strength began to return.

Her recovery was gradual, her once frail frame gaining back the vitality it had lost. Her body, slender and graceful, seemed built for movement—an echo of a life she hadn't spoken much about. Her hair, black as the ocean at midnight, now fell in soft waves, gleaming in the sunlight. The pallor of her skin warmed to a healthy glow, though faint scars traced delicate lines along her arms and legs, a testament to her survival. Her silvery eyes, once dulled by exhaustion and pain, now sparkled with curiosity and quiet resilience.

Kai watched her from the surf, half-hidden behind a jagged rock. He had grown accustomed to observing her like this, silently admiring the way she moved. Today, she dragged long palm fronds across the beach, her bare feet leaving soft impressions in the sand. She seemed determined, though her progress was slow.

The sight brought a bittersweet ache to his chest. He knew what would come next. Eventually, she would ask to leave. To go home. The thought twisted in his gut like a storm. He feared the day he would have to tell her the truth: she could not return to the world she came from. Her presence here was already a risk to his people.

With a sigh, Kai swam toward the shore, the sunlight glinting off the emerald scales of his tail. He hauled himself onto a flat rock, stretching out like a lazy predator, his fins glistening as he let the ocean breeze cool his skin.

"What are you doing?" he called out, his voice casual but tinged with curiosity.

Ren turned, brushing a strand of hair from her face. She stood beside the trunk of a palm tree, her hands calloused from the rough bark. "Building a hut," she replied, her tone brisk as she tied two fronds together with a makeshift rope of vines. "I can't sleep under the stars forever. And..." She paused, her gaze drifting toward the horizon. "I figured I'm not going anywhere."

Kai's heart stilled. "What do you mean?" he asked, his voice quieter now.

She climbed down from the tree, her bare feet landing softly on the sand. Shrugging, she avoided his gaze, focusing instead on the knot in her hands. "I don't have a home to go back to. My parents are gone. My uncle and cousin..." Her voice faltered, a bitter laugh escaping her lips. "Let's just say they wouldn't notice if I vanished off the face of the earth."

Kai's chest tightened at her words. He had known she carried pain, but hearing it aloud made it feel more tangible, more raw. For the first time, he realized how deeply alone she must have felt. He wanted to say something, anything to comfort her, but the words wouldn't come.

Instead, he asked softly, "Would you stay, then?"

Ren froze, her silver eyes lifting to meet his golden gaze. For a moment, she didn't answer, and the silence stretched between them like a taut rope.

Then she laughed—a light, musical sound that sent an unfamiliar warmth coursing through him. "What do you think I've been doing these past weeks?" she teased, a playful smirk tugging at her lips.

Kai allowed himself a small smile, though relief flooded through him. "So that's a yes."

Her gaze softened, and she shook her head with a grin. "Yes, Kai. It's a yes."

The words settled over him like the soothing touch of a gentle tide. He hadn't realized just how much he needed to hear them. Over the past weeks, her presence had become a constant in his life—one he hadn't realized he relied on. The way she spoke, the way she laughed, the way she challenged him with her sharp tongue and relentless curiosity. She had breathed something new into his world, something he didn't want to lose.

"So," Ren said, breaking the moment, "are you the only mer-dude out here, or is there an underwater city I should know about?"

Kai blinked, momentarily startled by her question. "Mer-dude?" he repeated, raising an eyebrow.

"You know," Ren said, grinning. "Merman."

He chuckled, shaking his head. "There's an entire kingdom," he admitted, leaning back against the rock.

Her eyes widened, her excitement palpable. "What? Like The Little Mermaid?"

Kai smirked, remembering the story she'd told him about the human film. "Something like that. But our palace is made of emeralds, not seashells."

Ren's jaw dropped, her excitement turning into fascination. "Wait—you live there? Are you, like, a prince or something?"

Kai's heart skipped a beat. Her words struck uncomfortably close to the truth. He hesitated, his mind racing for a response. "Nothing that grand," he said finally, forcing a casual tone. "I'm just... a guard. I protect the king."

Ren narrowed her eyes, studying him. "A king's guard, huh? Shouldn't you be with him, then?"

Kai leaned forward, his golden eyes gleaming with mischief. "Oh, he's in a very important meeting," he whispered, his lips brushing so close to her ear that she shivered.

Ren laughed, her cheeks flushing. "You're impossible!" she said, giving him a playful shove.

The sudden movement caught him off guard, and he lost his balance. In an attempt to steady himself, he grabbed her wrist, pulling her down with him. She let out a startled cry as she fell, landing against his chest. Her breath hitched, and for a moment, neither of them moved.

Kai's arms instinctively wrapped around her to steady her, but the contact only heightened the tension between them. Her soft, warm body pressed against his, her thin shirt doing little to shield him from the curve of her figure. His gaze dropped to her lips—full, pink, and so close. He could feel her breath on his skin, warm and uneven.

Ren's silvery eyes met his, wide with surprise but darkened by something else. An unspoken emotion hung between them, heavy and electric. Kai's pulse quickened, his instincts warring with his rationality.

She's human, the logical part of his mind warned.

She could could be yours, the beast within whispered.

His hand moved without thinking, brushing a stray lock of hair from her face. Her lips parted slightly, and his gaze lingered on them, the temptation almost unbearable. He leaned in, his breath mingling with hers, their noses brushing. For the briefest moment, it felt like the rest of the world had disappeared.

But then, a sharp, familiar pull in his chest broke the spell. The sensation was undeniable—his kingdom calling to him, a warning that something was wrong. His responsibilities, his duties, the weight of his crown—they all came rushing back in a tidal wave.

Kai pulled away, his jaw tightening. "I have to go," he said, his voice low and strained.

Ren blinked, the sudden shift in his demeanor catching her off guard. "What? Why?"

He didn't answer. Instead, he leaned in once more, pressing a soft, fleeting kiss to her lips. It was over almost as quickly as it began, but the sensation lingered—a bittersweet echo of the words he couldn't say.

Without another word, Kai turned and dove into the ocean, his emerald tail vanishing beneath the waves.

Ren sat on the sand, her fingers brushing her lips as she stared after him. Her heart was pounding, her emotions a tangled storm of confusion and longing.

"What are you hiding, Kai?" she whispered to the empty shore.