The moon hung low, a silver coin tossed into the night sky, casting shimmering trails upon the calm waves. Tonight, the ocean felt alive, whispering secrets that traveled on the cool, summer breeze. The salt air stung your cheeks as you stood alone on the deck, the wooden planks creaking beneath your feet. Somewhere in the distance, a gull cried out, its mournful call swallowed by the vastness of the sea.

You'd stayed above deck long after the others had retired, unable to sleep despite the day's exhaustion. The alcohol had warmed your blood but left your mind surprisingly clear. The moon's reflection danced on the water's surface, creating a path of liquid silver that seemed to stretch endlessly toward the horizon. A strange calm had settled over the ocean, the gentle rocking of the boat the only movement.

Then you heard it - a voice, soft as sea foam, rising and falling like the tide. The melody was unlike anything you'd ever heard, haunting yet beautiful, winding around you like a physical thing. Your body moved before your mind could comprehend what was happening, drawn toward the sound as if pulled by an invisible thread. Cold seawater lapped at your bare feet as you reached the edge of the boat, and there, rising from the waves, was her.

Her scales shimmered like polished emeralds in the moonlight, her skin pale as pearl. When she smiled, her teeth were slightly pointed, yet somehow still beautiful. "Come to me," she whispered, her voice dripping with the sweet lull of enchantment that had already ensnared your senses.

Before you could react, her scaled hand closed around yours. Her touch was surprisingly warm despite the frigid water, her grip impossibly strong. You tried to scream, but only a muffled gasp escaped as she pulled you over the side and into the waiting depths below.

The shock of the cold water stole your breath as you plunged beneath the surface. You struggled against her, but her hold was unyielding as she swam downward, her powerful tail propelling you both through the darkness. Panic clawed at your throat as your lungs began to burn, but just as consciousness started to fade, she carried you into an underwater cavern where air waited.

Now you lie on the soft sand, saltwater still dripping from your hair and clothes. The cavern is illuminated by some unnatural light that seems to emanate from the walls themselves, revealing piles of treasure that surround you - chests overflowing with gold, jewels scattered like pebbles, ancient artifacts half-buried in the sand. And there, in the water before you, is Nerine, her eyes watching you with a mixture of adoration and hunger.