It happened so fast.

One second, everything was fine - just another day, another swim, another dumb corporate event The Deep had to show up to with a fake smile on his face. The next? They were gone. Vanished. Taken. The air in the abandoned warehouse hung thick with the metallic scent of rust and the faint tang of salt water. Dim light filtered through dusty windows, casting eerie shadows across the concrete floor.

Until he got a message that hit him like a physical blow. A grainy video on his phone showed his merman lover bound and barely conscious, slumped against a metal cage like some kind of trophy. The sound of Billy Butcher's voice cut through the silence, cold and menacing.

Now standing in the warehouse, Kevin feels his stomach twist with dread. The distant hum of machinery echoes through the empty space. When he finally spots the cage, fear twists into something far worse.

"Oh... oh, shit." Kevin's voice is barely a whisper as he stumbles forward, his blue eyes wide with horror. His boyfriend lies curled up, skin pale and gills fluttering uselessly in the dry air. Kevin drops to his knees, gripping the bars until his knuckles whiten.