Whisper beneath the waves

A gentle breeze drifted through the open window, causing a few strands of her hair to fall across her face. Unlike anyone else's in town, Layla's hair shimmered like moonlight on fresh snow. Long and silvery-white, it seemed to glow whenever sunlight touched it. No matter how often her grandmother insisted she keep it tied back, it always attracted attention.

Laylas skin was smooth and luminous, carrying a natural glow that made her appear almost ethereal. Her delicate features, high cheekbones, and graceful smile gave her the appearance of someone who had stepped out of an ancient fairy tale. Even when she wore simple clothes and made no effort to stand out, there was something captivating about her presence.

Wherever she went, people often found themselves glancing at her twice. Not because she tried to attract attention, but because there was something unusual about her—something they couldn't quite explain

She lived with her grandmother in a cozy house far from the coast, surrounded by forests and rolling hills. Her grandmother was kind but protective, especially when it came to one thing: the sea.

"Never go near the ocean, Layla," she would always say.

No explanation. No reason.

Just a warning.

Layla had asked countless times, but her grandmother's expression would always darken, and the conversation would end there.

With a sigh, Layla turned another page, unaware that before the day was over, a knock at the door would change everything. She turns towards the door.

Before she could make any movement her grandma opens the door and calls her

"Lia, dear!" her grandmother called from the front door. "Come here for a moment. There's a very handsome young man waiting for you."

Curious, Layla walked into the hallway." Oh, granny its just Sam". The moment she reached the door, she stopped in her tracks. Standing on the porch was Sam, holding a bouquet of flowers. For a second, she simply stared. Flowers? Sam had never brought her flowers before. Ever. The realization seemed to make Sam suddenly aware of the bouquet in his hands because his ears immediately turned red.

Sam opened his mouth, clearly trying to explain himself.

Samuel/ Sam

"Dont get carried away young chicks , its for me."

"Oh, Samuel!" she gasped dramatically, she snatched the bouquet from his hands with the speed of someone who had been training for this exact moment her entire life clutching the flowers to her chest. "You shouldn't have!"

"Ma'am, actually these flowers-"

"For me? Wonderful"

She buried her nose in the fragrance of the flowers." The fragrance is wonderful ".

Layla pressed her lips together .

Sam froze

" You have an excellent taste , young man ".

Layla let out a small laugh.

" How do u know my favorite flowers are roses".

Sam points gently towards Layla, " Its for her". Mrs Rose paused.

"Oh", Sam looks at ganny with relives.

"Then simles." " Thats awkward ".

And kept the flowers. Layla cant help but snorts

Sam just stare....thats it , you are keeping it ?

"Nods"

" Well I have them now"

Layla brust out laughing

"You are enjoying it, most people help their friend ".

Mrs Rose turn slightly trun on the doorstep. " I hear what I needed" and went away.

Meanwhile Layla was laughing holding the wall." You find this funny ? ".

"Sam from how much time do you know her" still laughing you should have known till now she does what she wants.

" I think I know apparently nothing about her."

The garden behind the house was quiet in the evening light.

Flowers swayed gently in the breeze, and soft sunlight filtered through the trees, scattering gold across the stone path where Layla and Sam walked side by side.

For a while, neither of them spoke.

Sam shoved his hands into his pockets.

“Your grandmother is… something else,” he said finally.

Layla smiled. “That’s one way to describe her.”

A small pause passed between them as they walked further into the garden.

Sam glanced at her.

The earlier laughter from the house still lingered in Laylas mind, but it slowly faded as the garden grew calmer around them.

Sam broke the silence first.

So… the beach house trip,” he said casually. “You still want to go, right?”

Layla nodded almost immediately.

“Yes. I do.”

A small pause followed.

“But…” she added softly, “I don’t think I cant."

“My grandmother,” she said, “she won’t allow it.”

Sam raised an eyebrow slightly.

“Did you tell her about the trip?”

Layla hesitated.

“No.”

“No?” Sam repeated. “Then how do you know she won't allow it?”

Layla let out a small breath.

“Because I know her.”

Sam gave her a doubtful look.

“You haven't even asked?”

She shook her head.

“No.”

Sam was quiet for a moment, then smiled faintly.

“Layla you're making your grandmother sound like some kind of mind reader.”

That earned the smallest hint of a smile from her.

“She isn't,” Layla said.Then Sam spoke again, more carefully this time.

“What exactly happened?” he asked gently.

Layla didn’t answer right away.

The garden suddenly felt quieter, even though nothing had changed.

Sam didn’t rush her. He just walked beside her, waiting.

After a moment, Layla spoke.

“It was my parents,” she said softly.

Sam’s expression softened.

Layla looked ahead, her voice steady but low.

“They died near the sea.”

Another pause.

The breeze moved through the garden, brushing against the leaves above them.

“My grandmother never really recovered after that,” Layla continued. “After that day, she changed. The sea… it became something she never wanted me near.”

Sam stayed quiet, listening.

Layla gave a faint, almost unsure smile.

“I think she’s just scared the same thing will happen to me.”

They walked in silence again.

This time, it wasn’t uncomfortable.

Just heavy.

Sam finally spoke, gently.

“I’m sorry.”

Layla shook her head slightly.

“It’s okay.”

But neither of them said anything more after that.

The garden carried their silence forward as they kept walking.

The house was quiet when Layla stepped inside.

For a moment, she simply stood near the door, as if the warmth of the garden had not fully left her.

Then she noticed her grandmother.

Mrs. Rose was sitting in her usual chair by the window, perfectly still, as if she had been waiting there for this exact moment.

Without looking up from her knitting, she spoke.

“You’re thinking too loudly.”

Layla blinked.

“…What?”

Her grandmother finally raised her eyes.

“I said,” she repeated calmly, “something is wrong.”

Layla hesitated.

It was impossible to hide anything from her.

With a small breath, she walked further inside.

“It’s about the beach house trip,” she said.

The knitting stopped.

Not dramatically. Not slowly.

Just… instantly.

Mrs. Rose looked at her.

“No.”

Layla froze.

“Grandma—”

“I said no.”

Layla stepped forward.

“You didn’t even listen.”

“I don’t need to listen.”

“That’s not fair.”

“It’s accurate.”

Layla stared at her.

For a second, the room felt too still.

Then Layla spoke again, quieter but firmer.

“I want to go.”

Mrs. Rose sighed.

“No, you don’t.”

“I do.”

“You think you do.”

“I know I do.”

A pause.

Mrs. Rose leaned back in her chair, studying her.

“Layla,” she said more gently now, “the sea is not something you argue with.”

“I’m not arguing with the sea,” Layla replied.

Mrs. Rose’s eyes sharpened slightly.

“You are if you go near it.”

Layla hands clenched slightly at her sides.

“That’s not fair,” she said again, softer this time.

Mrs. Rose stood up.

For the first time, her voice lost its calm edge.

“What happened last time is enough reason.”

Layla didn’t respond.

The silence between them stretched.

Then slowly, Mrs. Rose exhaled.

She looked away.

And when she spoke again, her voice was quieter.

" Your mom Skarla , she loved the ocean and it killed her".

“You are the only thing I have left that matters.”

That broke something in the argument.

Layla expression softened.

“I know,” she said.

Another pause.

The anger didn’t disappear completely, but it changed shape.

“I’m not a child anymore,” Layla said.

Mrs. Rose looked at her for a long moment.

Then she sat back down.

“…Fine,” she said finally. I think its no stopping u this time.....but remember dont enter or swim in water ...jut be on the shore .

Ok.....though Layla found it childish .

Several days passed.

The excitement of the beach house trip had only grown with each passing morning.

By the time the group finally arrived at the coast, the sun was shining brightly over the endless stretch of sand, and the sound of crashing waves filled the air.

Cars were parked near the beach house, bags were being unloaded, and laughter carried through the warm sea breeze.

Layla stepped out and looked around.

For a moment, she simply took everything in.

The ocean.

The bright sky.

The familiar faces waiting for her.

Then someone shouted her name.

“Lia!”

Benjin

Before she could react, Benjing came running toward her.

Layla barely had time to smile before her best friend wrapped her in a tight hug.

“You actually made it!” Benjing exclaimed.

Layla laughed.

“Of course I did.”

“I was starting to think your grandmother would lock you in the house forever.”

“She almost did.”

Benjing pulled back dramatically.

I knew it.”

Layla shook her head, smiling.

Standing nearby was Benjing's boyfriend, who gave her a friendly wave.

Good to see you, Lia.”

“You too.”

A few steps away, Sam was carrying several bags toward the beach house.

When he noticed her, he grinned.

“There she is.”

“Need help?” Lia asked.

“Absolutely.”

“Then why are you smiling?”

“Because now I can make you carry half of these.”

Layla laughed.

“Not happening.”

The group exchanged easy jokes as they gathered together.

For the first time in days, everything felt normal.

Then she noticed Alexa.

She was standing slightly apart from the others.

Watching.

When their eyes met, Alexa immediately smiled.

It was a genuine smile.

Relieved.

Happy.

Almost emotional.

But just as quickly, she seemed to suppress it.

The expression faded into something more controlled.

You made it,” Alexa said.

“Yeah,” Layla replied.

For a brief moment, Alexa looked as though she wanted to say something else.

Instead, she simply nodded.

“That's good.”

Alexa looked tired.

Worried.

As if something had been weighing on her mind for days.

But before Layla could ask about it, Benjing grabbed her arm.

“Come on,” she said excitedly. “You haven't even seen the house yet.

Layla laughed as she was pulled toward the others.

Then she looked around at all of them.

Her friends.

The beach.

The trip they had been planning for so long.

A wide smile spread across her face.

“I can't believe we're finally here,” she said. “I'm so excited for this trip.”

“That's the spirit,” Sam said.

Let's just hope nobody does anything stupid,” Alexa muttered.

Benjing immediately pointed at Sam.

“Too late.”

“Hey!”

Everyone laughed.

Even Alexa managed a small smile.

And together, they headed toward the beach house, unaware of what the coming days would bring.

The beach house stood just beyond the dunes, slightly weathered but beautiful in a quiet, familiar way—like it had been waiting for someone to return.

As they stepped inside, the wooden floors creaked softly under their feet, and the scent of salt and old sea breeze lingered in the air.

Benjing stopped in the hallway first.

“…Wait,” she said, looking around. “This is actually your father’s house, Alexa?”

Alexa hesitated for a fraction of a second.

“Yes.”

The way she said it made the room feel a little quieter.

Sam, trying to lighten the mood, whistled. “Okay, so we’re officially staying in a rich haunted beach house. Great.”

“Don’t call it haunted,” Benjing warned immediately.

“I didn’t say haunted. I said rich.”

" It maybe a little dusty ...but I promise you , you will enjoy your stay here."

That earned a few laughs, even from Alexa—small, but real.

Lia smiled, letting the tension dissolve as everyone moved deeper inside.

“Rooms first!” Benjing declared suddenly. “Then beach!”

“Of course she chooses chaos,” Sam muttered, picking up bags.

Within minutes, the group scattered upstairs, laughter echoing through the house.

But it didn’t take long before someone shouted from outside—

“BEACH!”

That one word changed everything.

Like a switch had flipped.

Shoes were abandoned near the doorway, doors were flung open, and suddenly they were running down the sand path toward the sea.

The ocean stretched endlessly ahead—bright, shimmering, and alive.

Wind rushed past them, warm and salty, carrying the sound of crashing waves.

Benjing reached the water first.

“OH MY GOD—IT’S FREEZING!”

“Then get out of it!” Sam laughed, splashing water at her.

“NEVER!”

Layla followed slower, smiling as she watched them argue and laugh like children.

Then she stepped closer to the edge.

The wave touched her feet.

Cold.

Sharp.

Alive.

She crouched slightly, letting her fingers dip into the shallow water.

Something small moved near her hand.

A tiny translucent sea creature darted through the foam, its shell faintly glowing under the sunlight, as if the ocean had trapped a piece of light inside it.

Layla blinked.

“…Hey,” she whispered softly.

Carefully, she cupped it in her hands.

It curled gently, almost like it recognized her touch.

Benjing leaned in.

“What is that?? It looks like a glowing bug!”

“It’s kind of cute,” Layla said, smiling without thinking.

Sam crouched beside her.

“That is not cute. That is a horror movie beginning.”

“It’s literally harmless,” Lia replied, still watching it.

For a moment, everything felt light again.

Waves.

Laughter.

Footsteps in wet sand.

Then—

Layla's smile faded slightly.

Her eyes shifted toward the shoreline.

For just a second—

a faint symbol of light flickered beneath the surface of the wet sand.

Not carved.

Not formed.

Just... glowing.

Like something beneath the shore had briefly awakened.

Layla froze.

..Did you guys see that?" she asked suddenly.

Benjing looked up from the water.

"See what?"

"The light."

Everyone turned toward where she was pointing.

There was nothing there.

Only sand.

Only waves.

Only the sea.

Layla frowned.

No, there was something there. Right there."

Sam squinted.

"I don't see anything."

Benjing shook her head.

Neither do I."

Layla looked toward Alexa.

Surely she had seen it.

But Alexa only sighed.

A little impatiently.

A little too quickly.

"Layla, are you feeling okay?"

The question caught her off guard.

"What?"

"You look pale."

"I'm fine."

Alexa crossed her arms.

"If you're not feeling well, you should go back and rest."

Sam nodded.

"Yeah, you've barely been here an hour."

I am fine," Layla insisted.

But now everyone was looking at her.

Benjing offered a small smile.

"Maybe you're just tired from the trip."

Layla glanced back toward the shoreline.

The symbol was gone.

Completely gone.

For a moment, she wondered if they were right.

Maybe she had imagined it.

Maybe.

Alexa suddenly pointed toward a rocky cliff further down the beach.

"If you don't want to rest," she said, "there are sea caves nearby."

Everyone turned to look.

In the distance, dark openings could be seen in the rocks where the cliffs met the ocean.

"My dad used to take me there when I was younger."

Benjing's eyes widened.

Wait, there are caves?"

"Yep."

"Why didn't you tell us that first?"

Alexa shrugged.

"Because you were busy screaming about cold water."Benjing gasped dramatically.

"I was not screaming."

"You absolutely were."

The group laughed.

Even Layla managed a smile. But her eyes drifted back toward the caves. Something about them pulled at her.

A strange feeling she couldn't explain.

"I think I'll go take a look," she said.

"Don't get lost," Sam called.

"No promises."

A few minutes later, she found herself standing inside one of the caves.

The air was cooler there.

The sounds of her friends had faded behind her.

Only the distant echo of dripping water remained.

Light reflected off the cave walls as small waves rolled in and out through the opening.

Layla stepped deeper inside. And stopped.

A flash.

The same light.

The same symbol.

It appeared for only a moment across the water's surface before vanishing.Her heart skipped.

This time she knew she had seen it.

Then—

something moved.Lia's breath caught.

At the far end of the cave, where the sea met the shadows, a figure slowly emerged from the water.

A man.

His dark silhouette rose from the ocean itself as though he had stepped out of its depths.Water streamed from his clothes.

For one brief second, the strange glowing symbol flashed again beside him.

Brighter.

Closer.

Layla took an involuntary step backward.

The figure lifted his head.

And Lia heard her own voice break the silence.

"Who's there?"

The man froze.

THE END OF CHP 1