Chapter 1
WHERE THE TIDE CHOSE YOU
A Fantasy Romance Novel
COPYRIGHT
WHERE THE TIDE CHOSE YOU
Copyright © 2026 by Egbeolowo Abdulmalik Ayomide
Published under PRESIDO DYNASTY UNIVERSE
All Rights Reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, translated, stored in a retrieval system, or copied in any form without the prior written permission of the author, except for brief quotations used in reviews or academic purposes.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, organisations, and events are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
Unauthorised reproduction or distribution of this work is strictly prohibited and may result in legal action.
WARNING
This novel contains emotional themes, fantasy, romance, suspense, betrayal, grief, violence, and supernatural elements.
This story is written to take you on an unforgettable journey where love is tested, promises are broken, and sacrifices carry unimaginable consequences.
Please support the author by reading only on authorised platforms.
Do not pirate.
Do not repost.
Do not steal another person’s dream.
Every page was written with passion.
Every chapter carries a piece of the author’s heart.
Thank you for respecting creativity.
— PRESIDO WRITES
DEDICATION
To everyone who has ever loved someone they could never keep...
To those who sacrificed everything to see another person smile...
To the dreamers who still believe true love exists...
This story is for you.
May every chapter remind you that the greatest love stories are not always the ones with happy endings...
Sometimes...
They are the ones that refuse to be forgotten.
With love,
Egbeolowo Abdulmalik Ayomide
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
Every praise belongs to Allah, whose endless mercy gave me the strength, wisdom, and imagination to bring this story to life.
To my beloved readers...
Thank you for believing in every story I write.
Your votes...
Your comments...
Your messages...
And your unwavering support continues to inspire me to become a better storyteller.
You are not just readers.
You are family.
To everyone supporting PRESIDO DYNASTY UNIVERSE, thank you for walking this journey with me.
May this story leave a mark on your heart long after you’ve turned the final page.
With gratitude,
Egbeolowo Abdulmalik Ayomide
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Prologue — The Boy Who Chose the Sea
Chapter One — A Wish Beneath the Waves
Chapter Two — The Girl With Ocean Eyes
Chapter Three — The Price of a Human Heart
Chapter Four — The First Wish
Chapter Five — The Kingdom Beneath the Sea
Chapter Six — A Love Forbidden
Chapter Seven — The Curse She Couldn’t Escape
Chapter Eight — The Woman Who Couldn’t Touch Water
Chapter Nine — The Greed of a Broken Man
Chapter Ten — The Child She Could Never Give
Chapter Eleven — The Return of the Ocean King
Chapter Twelve — The Last Wish
Chapter Thirteen — Where the Tide Chose You
PROLOGUE
THE BOY WHO CHOSE THE SEA
The ocean was angry.
Massive waves crashed violently against the rocks.
Thunder echoed across the dark sky.
Rain poured without mercy.
Yet...
One young man kept walking toward the edge of the cliff.
Barefoot.
Drenched.
Broken.
His name was Kael Adebayo.
Twenty-four years old.
No family.
No money.
No hope.
His shirt clung tightly to his body as the cold wind pushed against him.
But he didn’t stop.
His eyes remained fixed on the endless sea before him.
A faint smile appeared on his lips.
“So this...”
“...is where everything ends.”
He reached into his pocket.
Pulled out a crumpled photograph.
It was old.
The edges had faded.
Inside the picture...
A little boy stood between a smiling man and a beautiful woman.
His parents.
Kael gently brushed away the rainwater covering their faces.
“I tried...”
His voice trembled.
“I really tried.”
His eyes slowly closed.
“I worked every job I could find.”
“I carried cement.”
“I washed cars.”
“I sold food on the streets.”
“I even begged.”
He laughed bitterly.
“But nothing...”
“...ever changed.”
Tears mixed with the rain.
“The landlord threw me out.”
“My boss refused to pay me.”
“My friends disappeared.”
He looked up at the sky.
“And You...”
He whispered.
“Were silent.”
Lightning flashed.
For a brief second...
The ocean glowed.
Kael looked at the photograph one last time.
“I’m sorry, Mum.”
“I’m sorry, Dad.”
“I’ll finally get to see both of you again.”
He kissed the picture.
Then...
He stepped closer to the edge.
The waves roared louder.
As though the sea itself was screaming.
“Don’t.”
Kael frowned.
He looked around.
Nobody.
Only the wind.
He shook his head.
“I’m hearing things.”
Again...
The voice returned.
Softer.
Gentler.
“Please...”
“...don’t.”
Kael’s heartbeat quickened.
“Who’s there?”
No answer.
Only the crashing waves.
He took another step.
His toes reached the edge.
One more step...
And everything would be over.
He smiled sadly.
“Goodbye.”
He jumped.
His body disappeared into the darkness below.
SPLASH!
The ocean swallowed him.
Cold.
Heavy.
Endless.
Kael struggled for a few seconds.
Then...
He stopped fighting.
His body slowly sank deeper.
The light above him faded.
His eyes began to close.
This was it.
Death.
Until...
A warm hand touched his.
His eyes opened.
Someone...
Was holding him.
Deep beneath the ocean.
A girl.
No...
Not a girl.
A mermaid.
Long silver hair floated around her like silk.
Her sapphire-blue eyes glowed in the darkness.
A shimmering emerald tail swayed gently behind her.
She was breathtaking.
She looked at Kael with tears in her eyes.
Then she smiled.
A smile so beautiful...
It made the ocean itself seem alive.
She placed her hand against his cheek.
And whispered...
“I’ve finally found you.”
END OF PROLOGUE
CHAPTER ONE
A WISH BENEATH THE WAVES
Darkness.
That was all Kael could see.
His body continued sinking deeper into the endless ocean.
His lungs burned.
His heartbeat slowed.
So...
This was death.
Peaceful.
Silent.
Cold.
Then...
The warmth returned.
Soft fingers wrapped around his hand.
The mysterious girl smiled.
She gently placed her palm against his chest.
A dazzling blue light exploded from her hand.
The ocean trembled.
Countless tiny sea creatures gathered around them.
Fish.
Sea turtles.
Jellyfish.
Even a giant whale swam slowly above them.
It was as if the entire ocean had answered her call.
Kael stared at her.
His lips moved.
“I...”
“...can’t breathe.”
She smiled.
“You don’t need to.”
His eyes widened.
He wasn’t drowning.
He was breathing.
Underwater.
Impossible.
He looked around in disbelief.
Coral reefs stretched endlessly into the distance.
Glowing plants illuminated the sea floor.
Schools of colourful fish danced around them.
It was the most beautiful place he had ever seen.
“You...”
“...who are you?”
The girl tilted her head.
“My name is Nerina.”
Kael frowned.
“Nerina?”
She nodded.
“I’ve waited a very long time to meet you.”
He forced a weak smile.
“I must already be dead.”
She giggled.
A sound as gentle as flowing water.
“No.”
“I refused to let you die.”
She slowly swam around him.
Her silver tail shimmered like moonlight.
Kael couldn’t stop staring.
“You...”
“...you’re a mermaid.”
Nerina lowered her eyes.
“Does that frighten you?”
Kael shook his head.
“No.”
“It makes me wonder if I’m dreaming.”
She smiled again.
“If this were a dream...”
“...would your heart still hurt?”
Kael’s smile faded.
The pain returned.
Everything he had tried to escape.
The hunger.
The loneliness.
The disappointment.
His eyes filled with tears.
“I have nothing.”
“My life means nothing.”
Nerina’s expression softened.
She reached out...
And wiped away his tears.
The moment they touched the ocean...
They transformed into glowing blue pearls.
Kael stared in amazement.
“My tears...”
She nodded.
“The ocean never wastes genuine tears.”
She carefully picked up one pearl.
Holding it close to her heart.
Then she looked into Kael’s eyes.
“Tell me.”
“If your life could begin again...”
“...what is the very first thing you would wish for?”
Kael laughed bitterly.
“A wish?”
“Yes.”
“If I could grant it...”
He looked away.
“You couldn’t.”
“Try me.”
Silence.
Kael took a deep breath.
“I don’t want riches.”
“I don’t want fame.”
“I don’t want power.”
Nerina listened quietly.
“I just...”
“...want a place...”
“...where I can finally call home.”
Nerina smiled.
A single tear escaped her eye.
Unlike Kael’s...
Her tear didn’t become a pearl.
It became...
A glowing blue flower.
She whispered softly.
“Then...”
“...your first wish...”
“...has been granted.”
Suddenly...
The ocean shook violently.
BOOOOM!
A deafening roar echoed through the water.
Nerina’s smile disappeared.
Her eyes widened with fear.
“No...”
Kael looked around.
“What was that?”
Another roar.
Louder this time.
The sea creatures fled in every direction.
Even the giant whale swam away in terror.
A massive shadow slowly emerged from the darkness.
Its glowing crimson eyes opened.
Locked onto Nerina.
Then...
A deep, terrifying voice echoed through the ocean.
“PRINCESS...”
“...WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?”
END OF CHAPTER ONE
