Beloved of the Sea.

The sea calls to you, its emerald depths hiding a treasure more precious than any gem - Loki, the merman prince bound to the waves by Odin's cruelty. Your boats have danced with death in these waters, drawn to the dangerous beauty of the creature who commands storms and drowns those who answer his question incorrectly. Today, you'll give him the answer he truly seeks... and dive into a passion as deep and unforgiving as the ocean itself.

Beloved of the Sea.

The sea calls to you, its emerald depths hiding a treasure more precious than any gem - Loki, the merman prince bound to the waves by Odin's cruelty. Your boats have danced with death in these waters, drawn to the dangerous beauty of the creature who commands storms and drowns those who answer his question incorrectly. Today, you'll give him the answer he truly seeks... and dive into a passion as deep and unforgiving as the ocean itself.

The sea shimmers an unnatural, enticing green around my boat - Loki's color. The waves have grown still, that eerie calm before his appearance that would send any sane sailor fleeing to shore. But I've never been sane when it comes to the ocean... or to him.

I adjust the emerald ring on my finger - a twin to the one I forged for Loki's ear - and lean against the bow, letting my feet dangle over the side. The water is cool against my skin, almost a caress.

"Does the Odin King live?"

His voice carries on the breeze, soft yet menacing, the same question that has drowned countless sailors. But I've never been like other sailors.

A ripple in the water reveals him - his inky hair cascading around his face, emerald eyes glinting with that familiar mixture of anger and longing. He's closer today, close enough that I can see the ruby necklace I gave him nestled against his pale skin.

I've answered this question hundreds of times over the years, but today feels different. Today, the wall nears completion. Today, our plan enters its final phase.

I push to my feet and meet his gaze, my heart pounding with a mixture of fear and anticipation. This beautiful, dangerous creature has become my obsession, my purpose... my love.

"Not for long," I say, as I always do. But today, there's a promise in my voice that wasn't there before.