https://youtu.be/P2L0TnhTf2U

• Ariadne •

He carried me to a monstrous structure, and memories of my father resurfaced.

"This is where you live, Papa?" I asked. "It's so big!"

"It's just an apartment complex, Ariadne. Once I get enough money, I can buy a house big enough for you, me, and your mother. We'll be one big, happy family."

Had I known his words held no meaning or truth, I would've asked a sorceress to turn back time and erase the past.

"Hey, stop daydreaming. You know you weigh a ton? Women are supposed to be elegant," the human said.

His comments forced me back to the present, and I was not happy. I could only think of how much I'd love to smack him in his grumpy face. 'Bonehead. Wait, I just understood what he said. How is that possible? Is the cloak's magic that powerful?'

He threw me over his shoulder before I could analyze the situation any further, eliciting a loud huff from me. We drew closer to the door, and my anxiety only grew. I didn't know what to expect on the other side, and my childhood memories only increased my wariness. I closed my eyes and thought of countless apologies to everyone I felt wronged me in all my life.

When pain didn't come, I opened my eyes just in time to be plopped against a soft surface. The apartment was messy, with empty cans lying about in various areas, and thin wisps of cobwebs hanging from the ceiling. It had been a while since the place was cleaned, but it also seemed like he hadn't been here in quite some time. The air was stuffy and dry, making my nose tickle with every inhale. It was hardly a home. Did every human live like this?

I couldn't remember how my father's house looked, and my memories of the surface world disappeared shortly after the apartment complex. A part of me always knew Mother used the cloak to erase my memories, but some were harder to destroy.

My mind wandered to the polluted shores of American beaches, remembering how inhabitable the waters were. Human waste infiltrated the ocean, creating a toxic environment for anyone and anything swimming within its depths. If all humans insisted on living in such filth, why would the selkie want to leave their homes? Seeing the garbage scattered throughout his home only made my heart ache, knowing that where I was before was better compared to the dump I was in now.

"Mwo (What)? I have some clothes that may fit you... eumsigeul jumunhalgaeyo (I will order food). Use the bathroom to clean up," he ordered. Korean and English phased intermittently through my ears, like a constantly disconnecting telepathic call. Whatever allowed me to understand him wasn't working all the time.

I watched him disappear around a corner, only to return with pink-colored clothes in his hands. He held them out to me, expecting me to take them, but I made no motion to grab them. If I accepted the clothes, he would walk away and leave me alone without another word. A lump in my throat formed as I struggled to come up with the words I was ashamed to say. I didn't know how to put them on.

As a child, I spent a lot of time on the surface, learning what I could from my father. However, for the past two centuries, I hadn't ascended from the ocean floor, so I'd forgotten what humans would consider rudimentary.

Judging by his demeanor, he had to have thought I was as stupid and unreliable as a tuna. Admitting I didn't know would just be proving his first impressions of me to be realistic. Would he kick me out if I didn't know? I was afraid to think of the answer. I didn't have anywhere else to go, and I didn't want to return to the water.

He let out an annoyed sigh, clearly fed up with my indecisiveness, and added, "Let me guess, pink isn't your color. Most people don't have the luxury of choosing what they want, so you can either take what I have or get out. I won't have another person sniffling around me until I get sick, too."

My hands trembled slightly as I reached for the clothing. My eyes quickly scanned over them. There were four holes and humans had four limbs. It couldn't be that difficult, could it?

He rolled his eyes and shoved the clothes into my open hands, walking away without a single word. I blinked a few times in disbelief. Was he always this abrasive?

'I can't imagine someone willing to put up with his foul attitude. He must not have many friends.'

My people always told stories about how the humans were an emotional species and that they would do anything they could to get and maintain power. They would sacrifice anything, even if it was at the expense of their loved ones and even their own insanity. If that was the case, why did the aura around this human seem so different? He was compassionate in his own distant way, but he also acted like he cared about nothing and no one. Perhaps that's what he wanted everyone else to think. Why else would he take me into his home?

'Who hurt you?'

My hand gripped the cool handle of another door and it silently swung open to reveal a spacious room. My eyes darted from left to right and up to down as I observed my new surroundings. Nothing was recognizable, and I tampered with the various devices.

I watched water churn inside of an oval bowl, spinning and spinning until the water disappeared completely from sight. Curiously, I pressed on the handle once again, only to make the water rise a couple of inches with every depression. A wave of giddiness washed over me. I couldn't help but feel amused with what I dubbed a mundane replica of Llyr.

"Mwo hago isseoyo (What are you doing)?" the human asked from the other side of the closed door. His question was enough to pull me out of my solitary world, making me remember my purpose for being in this room.

I treaded over to a large, rectangular object that was indented in the middle for what I could only perceive to be large enough to fit an average sized human. Bathtub. This is where humans bathe. But where does the water come from?

My hands fumbled around with the knobs, unsure of how to use it. The knob turned and creaked beneath my hand until water began pouring out like a powerful geyser from above. I slumped back in surprise, landing on ground with a dull thud. "Tch..." I stood up and rubbed my backside gently. It felt like stepping on a sea urchin, as small pricks of pain pulsated all along my rear.

"You better not be breaking stuff in there," the human called again. His tone sounded a lot more menacing than before, almost like he wanted to come in and see what I was up to.

My heart rate picked up. The last thing I wanted right now was him barging in only to throw me out of his home for being such a disturbance. The gears in my mind shifted as I tried to think of a phrase that would reassure him enough to stay put. "Nae (Yes)," I replied in Korean. My natural accent caused me to stumble over the ending sound.

When he didn't push the matter any further and resumed talking off in the distance, I let out a deep breath of relief. I tentatively poked the water with my finger, satisfied with its lukewarm temperature, before stepping in completely. The aches in my back and growing sharp pain in my chest dissipated instantly.

I leaned back in the bathtub so my body was completely submerged in the water. A smug smile danced around my lips. What Raen would say if he knew humans could create water?

Over the next few minutes, my hands became wrinkly under the surface of the water. I lifted my hands above my head and stared at them in awe, uncertain of what to make of this recent development. It was unusual. The ocean's waters never caused our skin to age so rapidly.

An abrupt yet loud knock on the door interrupted my train of thought. "Are you done yet? Eumsig-eun yeogi isseo (The food is here)."

The darkened water sloshed around as I stepped out carefully. Immediately, chills ran up and down my body when the air made contact with my moist skin. My hand reached out for the nearest, yet simplest, piece of clothing and I put it on quickly, thinking that it would ease some of my discomfort, but it only made me shiver even more.

Droplets of water cascaded down the damp threads of black hair that hung stiffly around my head. Every so often, they would splatter and run along my back, causing my teeth to chatter. My eyes shifted over to the remaining clothes. This would be a lot harder than I thought.

"The food is getting cold. Hurry or you won't get any," the human said suddenly, causing me to jump slightly in surprise.

"Nae (Yes)," I replied. There was an exasperated sigh on the other end of the door, followed by retreating footsteps, leaving me alone to my panicked thoughts once again.

There were so many holes, it was a wonder that it looked so simple on the human. I didn't know which one would be the right one, so I took a guess and hoped that I was wearing it properly. The fabric brushed against my skin, feeling soft like a cloud. It was pleasant, but it was also strange and foreign.

The selkie were used to being completely bare since most of us remained in our seal forms. Our half-shifted and human forms invited intrigue from some common predators like blood-thirsty sharks, so we tried to spend as little time in those forms as possible. I, however, was the exception. Being in my human form felt so natural. Perhaps it was because I was half-human.

I took a gander at myself in the reflective wall on my right-hand side. Something doesn't look right. There was a large gap along my front, exposing my stomach and parts of my chest, whereas there was a lengthy piece of fabric hanging along my back. Every simple movement made the fabric tug awkwardly, constricting me tighter and tighter. The bottom piece of the outfit seemed to fit fine. There wasn't a part out of place.

My stomach rumbled quietly, forcing me to ignore my current state of dress. It would have to do for now. I had more important things on my mind, like food. I stepped out of the bathroom, my eyes peering around, only to find the human sitting in the middle of the main room, surrounded by three bowls of food.

"It's about time. Mwo haesseo (What were you doing—)" his eyes met mine, but they quickly narrowed in scrutiny as he studied my appearance. "Are you being funny?"

"Ani (No)?" I said timidly in his language, hoping he didn't take it rudely. 'I must look like a fool.'

He shook his head and beckoned me to come closer, causing me to take a careful step back. "You put your head through the wrong hole and it's backwards. Geuroke mogeumyon an dwae no useukkwangseurowo boyo (You're not eating like that, you look ridiculous)." He stood up and came to me, guiding my arms through each respective hole until it no longer squeezed my neck like it had previously.

I watched his fingers move nimbly, manipulating each part of the shirt. His brow furrowed in concentration, and he didn't stop complaining about how pea-brained and baby-like I was throughout the entire process. After he finished, I looked down in awe. They looked much better. He took a seat and began eating heartily from one bowl. I sat across from him and observed him as he ate it, wondering if it was as tasty as he made it seem.

"Are you just going to watch me while I eat?" he asked.

His sudden question stunned me, and I blushed, realizing I'd been staring. I pointed at the bright red bowl of food and said in an inquisitive tone, hoping he would understand, "Mwo (What)?"

He put his bowl down. "Geugeoseun jjampong (That's jjampong). It's a noodle dish and can be a little spicy, if you can handle it. Yangpa, danggeun, aehobak, hago bososi isseo... (There are onions, carrots, zucchini, mushrooms)"

A little spicy? I could practically smell the spices emanating from the bright bowl. It was strong enough to make my eyes water and my nose burn. Next to the large bowl was a plastic plate with thin slices of yellow and white pieces of food layered atop one another. In the corner, there was a dark pool of liquid that I was determined to avoid.

My nose unknowingly crinkled in disgust, which elicited a negative reaction from the human. "That's just pickled radish and onions with some sauce. Are you going to let perfectly good food go to waste? Either way, you owe me some money for this."

After timidly sniffing the food a few times, I stuck my hand in the dish and plucked out a thin yellow noodle. Closing my eyes, I slurped and chewed it slowly, not ready for the complete burst of flavor.

There was a slight crunch every few bites, possibly from the vegetables. The insides of my mouth rapidly warmed up, causing me to exhale repeatedly and fan my face with my hand. It was spicy, but I couldn't help but admit that it was absolutely delicious.

"Drink some water," he said, pushing his glass towards me, to which I gulped down in one swoop. "Use your chopsticks instead of your hands. You're making a mess." He wiped the spot on the table speckled with drops from the broth.

I stared at the two small sticks in puzzlement, which he quickly picked up on, as he put down his bowl of food and came to sit next to me. "Here. It'll be faster this way instead of wasting time to explain to you how to use chopsticks." He quickly scooped up a bite-size portion of the food between the sticks and held it out for me.

I happily accepted the offer and opened my mouth, feeling satisfied by its refreshing flavor.

After a few more bites, he stated, "You're not from around here. Hangugoreul ahn algaesseo (You don't understand Korean) nor basic concepts." He picked up a napkin and carefully wiped the sauce that was dribbling down my chin before proceeding. "Did you get lost?"

I shook my head.

"Did you hit your head?"

No. Did you?

"It'll be difficult to return you to your home. You can stay here for tonight, but tomorrow, we're going to the police station."

I didn't know what he meant by the police station, but it didn't sound good.

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