Ximena lay on a large rock under a cliffside, enjoying the warm sunlight on her body. It was her first time going to the surface alone, but now that she was an adult, no one could stop her.
"Ximena!" A voice suddenly called out, making Ximena sit up.
She watched her younger twin sister, Amara, come out of the water. Her silky black, waist-length hair drifted on the ocean's surface like seaweed and her ocean blue eyes gleamed with mischief.
Her sister was beautiful, even for a siren with blood red lips, slightly pointed ears and pale skin. She had the same features as her sister, but Ximena was more on the chubbier side. Probably because of all the fish she ate.
Shaking her head at the thought, she wondered what Aamara wanted. Her sister wasn't as fond of the surface as she was and rarely visited her unless something was up.
"Is something the matter, Amara?" Ximena asked as her sister swam over to the boulder.
"I'm just sad that you'll be leaving soon to marry the Mer Prince." Amara said, flickering her green and blue fish-like tail, a sign she was unhappy. "I know your marriage is meant to unite the merfolk and sirens but still…"
Aamara lifted her body up, her webbed hands with sharp claws turning human-like the moment she touched the boulder. Her tail too disappeared and became a pair of legs and a flowy white dress that hugged her curvy figure when she moved to sit next to Ximena on the rock.
Ximena patted her younger sister's head. "Don't worry about it. I'll make sure to visit often."
Amara smiled about to reply when a few more sirens suddenly appeared from the water. Ximena immediately recognized them to be some of their friends.
"Are you two really celebrating your birthday here alone?" A blond siren, Maria, said, splashing them with water.
"You guys are adults now. We should celebrate it." Another siren, Jess, laughed. "Why not explore the human world before Ximena leaves."
A third siren, Sienna, nodded. "Yes. We should have some fun before Ximena leaves."
"That sounds like fun." Amara squealed. "Oh do say yes Ximena."
Ximena looked at the other sirens, not sure what to say. The idea of exploring the human world sounded fun, but the merfolk were coming tomorrow.
She wanted to be well rested and spend what time she could with her friends and family. Besides, it was unlike them to want to explore the human world. They all seemed to hate it.
"But you guys-" Ximena started.
"Don't overthink it, Ximena." Maria interrupted. "We'll come back before midnight. I promise."
"Please, Ximena." Amara looked at her with puppy dog eyes. "I really want to explore the human world with you. Do something fun before you leave."
Ximena bit her lip but nodded, deciding not to be a spoilsport. "Alright but we have to be back by midnight."
Amara squealed with joy and hugged Ximena. "Thank you!"
***
A few hours later, the five sirens were sitting on a sandy beach eating ice-cream and watching the sun set. Ximena loved how the sun turned the sky into a mix of oranges, blues and purples that reflected off the water.
It was a breathtaking sight, one Ximena knew she would remember forever. The whole day had been great in fact. She had tried new foods, met interesting people and seen wonderful things.
But the best part was she had done it all with those she loved.
She wanted to make this moment last forever, knowing she'd miss it when she moved to the Merfolk Kingdom. When the sun finally set and the full moon and stars became the only source of light, Amara stood up.
"Let's go see if there's anything interesting happening." She exclaimed excitedly.
Ximena, however, was feeling a little tired. "I don't know, Amara. Today has been really great. Why not go back now?"
"Come on, Ximena. The night is still young." Maria said, also getting up. "I kind of want to know what a party looks like."
Ximena frowned, finding their behavior a little odd. "You know it's forbidden to interact with humans. Even being here is a little risky."
"Don't be a spoilsport. We can keep a secret among ourselves." Jess pouted. "Besides, it's not forbidden for us to interact with other supernatural creatures."
"What?" Ximena looked at her sister and friends in confusion.
"Well… When Amara and I went to get the ice-creams, we found out the guy serving them was a witch." Jess started explaining. "And he invited us to this party…. Please Ximena say you'll come with us."
"I…" Ximena wasn't sure what to say.
She could see everyone wanted to go and didn't want to spoil their fun. But she also didn't want to go to some random party even if it was a party with supernatural beings only.
It was starting to get late and she wanted to get home soon to rest. Otherwise, she'd be too tired for their guests tomorrow.
"Ximena, just one last memory please." Amara begged, giving her puppy dog eyes that she could never refuse.
Ximena sighed but nodded. "Fine. But only for a few minutes."
Amara pulled Ximena in a hug and soon they made their way to a small beach house nearby. It was a small wooden cabin with decorations and quite a few people partying on the beach.
Loud music boomed while people danced and drank. Ximena felt a little uncomfortable with the setting but silently followed the other girls.
They were soon greeted by a blond hair man who turned out to be the witch that invited them. After a few minutes of chatting with the host, Jess dragged Ximena and Sienna to dance while Maria and Amara went to get them drinks.
Jess went to dance with two male werewolves while Sienna stuck with Ximena on the sidelines, watching Jess enjoy herself.
But soon, Jess had them join her dancing with others, bodies swaying to the beat everywhere Ximena looked. Ximena began to enjoy the music and dancing, letting the rhythm take over and just having fun.
She even accepted the drink her sister had gotten for her, despite it being an alcoholic drink. After thanking her sister for it, she downed it, only for her body to begin to feel weird.
Her body began to heat up and her vision blurred. Everything seemed dull and bright, things looking strange. She reached out, trying to find something to cool her body.
She soon felt lips being pressed onto hers, cooling her body. Hands too roamed her body and her blood boiled at each touch. She felt alive and her body began to ache.
She heard a voice but wasn't sure what they were saying. She only knew it sounded male and it was sending shivers down her spine. She let her hands roam and felt complete bliss.
Then her world went black.