The scales refracted flowing halos underwater.
The man-made seawater carried a salty, fishy scent, with the temperature just right and the ion concentration precisely adjusted.
All of this was to ensure he wouldn't completely weaken on land.
He swam freely and joyfully, as if he had finally broken free from restraints.
Selene stood by the pool, barefoot, fingers tightly clutching the hem of her dress.
Online, some people said he was a mermaid. Initially, it was just a joke, but it spread wider and wider.
Most people were drawn to those pointed ears.
Those long, smooth-lined ears, like those of an elf.
But they didn't understand that what truly proved his identity wasn't the ears, but his posture in the water.
He was most genuine in the water.
After a few laps, his fish tail became more lustrous.
The previously dull pattern now seemed reactivated, faintly glowing with a blue shimmer.
He swam to the edge of the pool, his long hand supporting the smooth rim.
