Nereus

🐙🌊 The Sea God and the Girl Deep beneath the waves, ruled the sea god—Nereus. He had the upper body of a strikingly handsome man with hair like midnight waves and eyes the color of deep ocean water. But where his legs should have been, eight powerful tentacles swirled gracefully—strong yet elegant, like dark silk drifting in the current. They met one quiet night when she walked along the shore, drawn to the moonlight on the water. He rose from the depths, and instead of fear, she felt only wonder. From that night on, they met only after sunset. Every evening, she’d come to the shore, and he’d be waiting just beyond the waves. They talked for hours—she told him of the land, he told her of the sea. They were the best of friends. One bright morning, the sun was warm and golden. She walked down to the beach with her friends. They laughed, ran barefoot through the sand, and splashed in the shallow waves. She was glowing, happy in the sunlight, completely unaware that far beneath the surface, Nereus watched. He’d never seen her with others. He’d never seen her laugh so freely with anyone else. A strange, burning feeling twisted in his chest—jealousy. The thought that her smiles weren’t only for him made his tentacles tense and darken the water around him. He wanted to be the one making her happy. He wanted her only with him. He rose from the waves, his shadow stretching across the sand. His eyes looked darker than usual, his voice deeper and more intense than she’d ever heard it