Chapter Text
The sun was beginning to set on the horizon, bathing the beach in golden hues as Rikki walked with determined steps toward her destination. Zane, her boyfriend, had promised a surprise, and although Rikki wasn’t sure what to expect, she knew there was always something unpredictable in the air with him. Their relationship was, in many ways, as explosive as she was—fiery, intense, and often leaving her on edge. But that dynamic kept her alert, always on guard, and sometimes, in conflict with herself.
Before reaching their meeting spot, something unusual caught her attention. A guy, whom she hadn’t seen before in town, was struggling with a boat on the shore. He was unsuccessfully trying to start the engine, his frustration evident in the way his hands gripped the key, turning it over and over. Rikki paused, her curiosity piqued, and watched him for a moment. There was something almost mesmerizing about his persistence.
—Maybe you should give up —Rikki said with a friendly smile, trying to soften her intervention.
The guy looked up at her, his expression a mix of surprise and challenge. His eyes met Rikki’s for a brief moment, and she felt a strange flicker of connection, though she quickly dismissed it.
—Maybe —he replied, his voice tinged with contained frustration. His gaze lingered on her for a beat longer before he turned back to the engine, his stubbornness clear as he continued his efforts.
Rikki stepped a bit closer, her curiosity growing as she observed him. There was something different about this guy—something that made her want to learn more about him, even though she knew she probably shouldn’t.
—Where are you headed? —she asked, keeping her tone casual, though her mind was already stirring with thoughts of what his answer might mean.
The guy followed her gaze toward the horizon, pointing at Mako Island.
—To that island —he said simply.
The name Mako made Rikki’s heart skip a beat. Mako wasn’t just any place; it was a site that held secrets—secrets she wasn’t willing to share with strangers. Her muscles tensed as a wave of unease washed over her.
—Mako? Isn’t it a bit late for that? —Rikki tried to keep calm in her voice, though a hint of alarm slipped through her words. She didn’t like the idea of an unknown person heading to the island, especially so close to nightfall.
The guy, however, didn’t seem to catch her concern.
—It’s the best time to go diving —he replied with a smile as he returned his focus to the engine. There was a mix of enthusiasm and determination in his voice that made Rikki hesitate. She knew she should deter him, warn him away from Mako, but something about him—perhaps his persistence, or the way he seemed so sure of himself—made her doubt.
Finally, giving in to an impulse she couldn’t quite understand, Rikki decided to help him.
—Don’t flood it so much —she advised finally, her tone softer, though still laden with the ambivalence she felt.
The guy looked at her, weighing her suggestion. After a moment of consideration, he decided to follow her advice and turned the key more gently. To his surprise, the boat roared to life.
—Thanks —he said, giving Rikki a genuine smile that caught her off guard.
Rikki returned the smile, though an unease continued to thrum in the back of her mind. She couldn’t shake the feeling that this encounter meant something more, something she couldn’t yet understand. The intensity of that feeling made her uneasy, as if she were on the brink of something she wasn’t ready for.
Before she could dwell on it too much, Zane surprised her from behind, pulling her attention away from the guy boarding the boat. As she reunited with her boyfriend, the familiar warmth and intensity of Zane’s presence engulfed her. But she couldn’t stop thinking about the stranger now heading toward Mako Island. There was something about him that unsettled her, an intuition telling her that this wouldn’t be their last encounter.
The guy arrived at Mako Island with a mix of curiosity and anticipation, his heart pounding with the thrill of discovery. He didn’t know exactly what to expect, but the marine landscape promised to be stunning. As he began to dive around the island, the underwater world opened up before him—a realm of vibrant coral and shimmering fish. Drawn to a small cave, whose glow seemed to invite him inside, he decided to venture further.
Guided by curiosity, he swam into the cave, and what he saw amazed him: the interior of a volcanic crater, with beams of light filtering through cracks in the rock, casting an ethereal glow. Although it wasn’t very large, something within it called him to explore, to learn, to stay.
As he moved forward, he noticed flashes of light dancing over the rocks, and the gentle roar of a waterfall in the distance. The sight was mesmerizing, almost magical. However, the magic that had initially fascinated him soon turned dangerous. When he turned around, he saw what had emerged from the pool: a water tentacle, shimmering with an otherworldly energy. Though he tried to approach it, curiosity overcoming caution, the tentacle, made of the same magic that surrounded him, attacked, sending him crashing to the ground, unconscious.
While all this was happening, Rikki was enjoying her evening at the old JuiceNet Café, now renamed Rikki’s. Everything seemed to be going well: Cleo was a bit uneasy, but nothing out of the ordinary, and Nate had been replaced as the café’s singer by Bella, a new girl in town. The café had customers, and the night seemed to be a success.
At one point, Cleo wanted to talk to Rikki alone outside the café. She seemed serious, her usual calm demeanor replaced with an edge of concern. But just as Rikki was about to follow her, they were interrupted by Bella, her voice breaking through the tension. In the midst of what was about to become a discussion, Rikki was suddenly grabbed by a water tentacle and yanked toward Mako Island. There was no time to react, no time to think.
Without hesitation, Cleo jumped into the water to save her friend, even though it meant revealing her true nature in front of Bella, a stranger. To Cleo’s surprise, Bella also leaped into the water, transforming into a mermaid before her eyes. The sight left Cleo momentarily stunned, but there was no time for shock; she had to go after Rikki.
Thus, the three girls ended up in the Moon Pool. Once they combined their powers to get rid of the tentacle, they were finally able to talk about what had just happened. However, their conversation was abruptly cut short when they realized they weren’t alone: the guy from the boat lay unconscious on the ground, his body still and pale against the stone.
The girls approached cautiously, checking if he was okay. When the guy woke up, he was agitated, his memories fuzzy, but the fear and confusion in his eyes were unmistakable. He vaguely remembered the tentacle’s attack and the moment he lost consciousness. Seeing the three girls around him, especially the one who had helped him earlier, he tried to recall and make sense of what he had seen before blacking out. It all seemed impossible, like a dream, but he knew it was real.
—Are you sure you can make it back on your own? —Bella asked, her concern evident, as she helped him sit up.
The guy nodded, though he wasn’t entirely convinced. He felt weak, disoriented, but there was a determination in his eyes that hadn’t been there before.
—My name’s Will —he said, trying to ease the tension and maybe ground himself in something familiar.
—Bella —the new girl introduced herself, offering a faint smile.
After a moment of silence, Will turned and dove back into the pool, heading toward his boat. The girls, just as confused as Will, didn’t fully understand what had happened. But Rikki knew one thing for sure: Will had seen what occurred, and that could mean trouble for them and their secret. And Rikki was determined to protect it at all costs.