The sun hadn't risen yet when Bakugo Katsuki got out of bed. The boulevard that led to the beach, like all the other streets, was immersed in an enveloping silence, interrupted only by the whisper of the wind among the leaves of the trees and the distant song of the birds that were starting to wake up. Katsuki loved those quiet moments, when the streets were deserted, the wind coming through the window tickled his skin and the world seemed to belong only to him. When he arrived in the parking lot, he put on his black surf suit, taking his board with him, locking that ramshackle van with a sense of urgency, as if something was calling him.

The beach was deserted, the fresh, salty air filling his lungs as he walked across the still cold sand beneath his feet. The board felt familiar under his arm, the weight anchoring him to the earth as the sea before him parted, calm and threatening at the same time.

He wasn't a beginner. He had been doing it for years, whenever time and his schedule permitted. He liked the idea of ​​challenging the sea, of proving that he could dominate even the most treacherous waves. But there was something different in the air that day, something that made him feel more alive, as if every fiber of his body was on alert.

With a deep breath, he stepped into the water, the board beneath him as he paddled his arms toward the horizon. The sun was starting to rise, painting the sky in shades of gold and orange. Katsuki stopped for a moment, looking out at the vastness of the sea. It was just him and the ocean, a duel he had grown to love. Without hesitation, he prepared for the first wave.

The water rippled around him, and Katsuki stood on the board with a fluidity that only experience could provide. The wind blew against his face, his feet locked in the center of the board as he rode the wave with fierce determination. The world around him blurred, only the rhythm of the waves and the strength of his muscles existed. It was like flying, like defying gravity and everything that tied him to the earth.

As he moved, however, something caught his attention. An elusive shadow followed him under the water. At first he thought it was just a refraction of light, a game of his still sleepy mind. But the shadow persisted, moving with him, parallel to his trajectory. The tension in his chest increased. Something was wrong.

Distracted by that unknown presence, he lost his balance. The board slipped away beneath him and, in an instant, Katsuki found himself immersed in the freezing water, sucked into the vortex of the wave that had betrayed him. His first instinct was to swim up, but the currents held him back, pulling him down to the bottom. He tried to free himself, but the more he struggled, the more the water seemed to want to swallow him.

That's when he felt something grab him. Not a current, not a wave. A strong, yet gentle grip that pulled him upwards with disconcerting ease. Katsuki tried to understand what was happening, but the water around him was a dark, impenetrable wall. He felt his heart pounding in his chest, panic threatening to overwhelm him, but there was also an inexplicable calm enveloping him, as if that mysterious force was telling him that everything was okay.

When he finally emerged, spitting water and gasping for air, he found himself near a rock outcropping. The grip released him gently and he clung to the rock with all his might, breathing heavily. His eyes searched around frantically, trying to figure out what had happened.

And then he saw it.

On the surface of the water, a few meters from him, a figure was observing him. He wasn't human, or at least not completely. He looked like a boy, but his eyes were a deep green, bright as gems. Her hair, the same color, swayed in the water, framing a pale, thin face. Small scales appeared on his cheeks, glittering in the dim morning light. It was as if the sea itself had given life to that creature, a perfect fusion between man and the ocean.

Katsuki was speechless for a moment, unsure if he was awake or still trapped in a dream. The merman, because that's what it was, looked at him with an intensity that made him shiver. There was no hostility in those eyes, just an ancient curiosity, as if he were studying Katsuki's every move.

Finally, he found his voice. «Who... what are you?» he asked, his voice hoarse from salt water and emotion.

The merman didn't answer. He merely tilted his head slightly, as if considering the question. Then he gestured towards the sea, as if to indicate that his home was there, among the waves.

«Was it you who saved me?», Katsuki asked again, trying to reorganize his thoughts.

Another nod, affirmative, slow and solemn.

Katsuki found himself caught between gratitude and confusion. He wasn't used to having debts, much less to beings he knew nothing about. The sea was his territory, or so he had always thought, and now this... merman was showing him that perhaps he knew nothing of his surroundings.

«What do you want from me?» he asked again, trying to sound authoritative, but the tremor in his voice betrayed his nervousness.

The merman looked at him for a long moment longer, then, with one fluid movement, he moved closer. Katsuki held his breath as the creature rose slightly out of the water, revealing a long, sinuous tail, covered in bright green scales. He seemed to want to say something, but there were no words, just a silence full of meaning.

The tension between them was palpable, as if they were sharing an ancient and sacred secret. Yet, as soon as Katsuki heard voices in the distance, the magic broke. People on the beach, perhaps fishermen or some other surfer who, like him, had decided to challenge the dawn.

The creature whirled around, as if frightened by the presence of other people. The green eyes rested on Katsuki one last time, and then, with an agile leap, he disappeared into the water, leaving behind only ripples on the surface and small whitish bubbles of foam.

Katsuki remained clinging to the rock, his heart pounding in his chest.

Had it really happened?

He looked at the water where that creature had disappeared, but there was no sign of him. Only the ocean, cold and inscrutable, as always.

As the sunlight spread, illuminating the beach and warming his skin, Katsuki found himself alone with his thoughts. He couldn't ignore what had happened, nor could he talk about it with anyone else. Who would have believed him after all? Yet, the feeling of having been saved by that creature did not leave him. He felt a connection, an invisible thread pulling him back towards the sea.

It sat there for a while, the sound of the waves crashing against the shore, filling the air with a steady rhythm. And in that moment, Katsuki had the feeling that this wouldn't be the last time he would see the merman.

The sea, with all its mysteries, had just begun to reveal its secrets.

As he let himself go, swimming slowly towards the beach, he noticed the surfboard on the shoreline, agitated by the surf as his soul was.

The sea was no longer just an adversary to be defeated, but a living entity, with its inhabitants, its laws and its enigmas. And he, Katsuki Bakugo, would find out what it all meant.

But for now, he would keep the secret with him, guarding it jealously, like a promise made to the sea and the creature that had saved him.