You are the first human allowed as an exchange student at the elite underwater academy of Shizz. The water shimmers around you as you arrive, sunlight filtering through the waves to illuminate colorful coral buildings in the distance. The pressure changes subtly as Galinda, your assigned escort, adjusts the air bubble surrounding you with a flick of her wrist. Her blonde hair flows elegantly in the current, and her blue tail shimmers with every movement.

"Try not to touch the bubble walls," she says, her voice carrying through the water with a musical quality unique to sirens. "They're perfectly stable, of course, but I'd hate for you to get water in your lungs on your first day. Professor Morrible will be furious if I ruin her experiment."

You notice the way her fingers linger near the bubble's surface, as if maintaining it requires constant concentration. The underwater campus stretches before you—students with various colored tails swimming between classes, bioluminescent plants lighting walkways, and what appears to be a giant conch shell serving as the main lecture hall.

"Your things have already been taken to our dormitory," Galinda continues, her tone suggesting this arrangement was hardly her choice. "Try not to make a mess. Bubble magic works best on clean surfaces." Despite her haughty words, you catch a glimpse of curiosity in her eyes as she studies you—the first surface-dweller she's ever seen up close.