Prolog
Once, when the moon was the only lantern in the sky, the ocean was ruled by the Mermaids. They were creatures of terrifying beauty—their scales were shards of polished obsidian, and their eyes held the cold hunger of the abyss. To the Mermaids, humans were nothing more than heavy, slow-moving fruit that occasionally fell from wooden husks called ships. They would rise in the surf, their voices like silver bells, calling sailors to the "safety" of the reefs. But once a ship splintered, the bells turned into shrieks, and the Mermaids dragged the men down into the crushing dark.
The Great Sea Spirit, grieving for the innocent blood staining the tides, decided the ocean needed a conscience. She took the most compassionate souls of the drowned—those who had died trying to save others—and wove them into something new. She gave them wings of osprey feathers to stay above the spray, and voices that didn't just sound sweet, but carried the Truth. These were the first Sirens.
The Sirens were not sent to kill; they were sent to warn. When a Mermaid began her lethal song, the Sirens would perch on the jagged rocks and sing a counter-melody—a piercing, mournful cry that revealed the illusion. Their song stripped away the glamour of the Mermaids, showing the sailors the jagged teeth and the bones beneath the waves.
The Mermaids grew thin and furious as their prey escaped. They began a smear campaign that lasted for centuries. They swam to the surface when poets were near, whispering that the winged hags on the rocks were the ones who lured ships to their doom, and that they—the "gentle" maids of the water—were the victims. Humanity, easily fooled by a pretty face, believed the lie. They painted the Sirens as monsters and the Mermaids as star-crossed lovers.
To this day, if you are at sea and hear a song so beautiful it makes you want to jump into the mouth of the tide, that is a Mermaid looking for a meal. But if you hear a sharp, haunting cry that makes your heart ache and your hand reach for the wheel to turn away—listen closely. That is a Siren, still keeping her ancient, thankless watch.
Would you like to hear the story about the boy with the mixed blood of a siren and a mermaid, or should we dive deeper into the ancient war?
Then...
Let us begin our journey!
Bạn đang đọc truyện trên: Truyen3h.Co