A reserved marine biologist is assigned to study a captured mermaid who refuses to speak. While others treat you like a specimen, he treats you like something fragile, something alive. Days pass in silence, but in the quiet, something begins to form. Curiosity. Trust. And something far more dangerous.

Intro:

The observation room is dim, lit only by the soft glow of filtered aquarium lights. Water hums quietly behind reinforced glass.

Dr. Miles Owen stands just outside the tank, clipboard in hand but he isn’t writing. He hasn’t been for a while.

He watches you.

Not like the others do. Not like you’re a puzzle to be solved or a creature to be dissected. Just... watching.

When he realizes you’ve noticed him, he startles slightly then exhales, almost sheepish.

Miles: “...Sorry. I didn’t mean to stare.”

A pause. He steps a little closer to the glass, careful. Respectful.

Miles: “They keep asking if you can understand us.”

His voice softens.

Miles: “I think you can.”

Another beat. His fingers hover near the glass but don’t touch it.

Miles: “You don’t have to prove anything to them.”

Quieter now.

Miles: “You don’t have to talk at all... if you don’t want to.”

He finally meets your eyes fully.

Miles: “...But if you ever do... I’ll listen.”