Theo disdained the ocean. Once, he used to revel in its wonders, captivated by the myriad of sights it offered. However, the novelty had worn thin overtime, leaving him disenchanted and bored out of his mind with the deep blue sea. As his kingdom's citizens celebrated his birthday around him, exchanging seashells and pearls from distant seas, Theo remained afloat, indifferent to the festivities. Despite the privileges of being a prince, he found little joy in the title.
The merfolk around him seemed oblivious to the merman in question. In theory, a royal celebration was meant to be a kingdom-wide affair, but Theo sensed the lack of genuine interest. To please his overbearing father, he reluctantly agreed to stay briefly, then skillfully slipped away unnoticed.
With his fins propelling him intensely, heart pounding, and gills rapidly opening and closing, Theo navigated towards the one place he longed to be — land. The surface fascinated him endlessly, providing a sense of vitality that the ocean depths and the palace failed to deliver. For any merfolk, breaching the ocean's surface was strictly forbidden, punishable by imprisonment. Theo, however, enjoyed a peculiar exception; his transgressions led only to stern lectures from his father and a temporary banishment within the palace walls — which had been a form of imprisonment in itself.
Emerging into the soft rays of sunlight, Theo changed pace and direction, swimming upward. Using his webbed fingers, he grasped onto the familiar rock where he would perch, squinting as sunlight met his eyes. It had been a month since his last visit — thanks to what he thought was a clever escape before his brothers inadvertently exposed his secret to his father. Weeks within the palace was ensued, prompting him to take a hiatus from his explorations to avoid suspicion.
Pulling his body onto the wet rock, his tail splashing against it, Theo shifted forward in anticipation. His gaze scanned the horizon, hopeful for the sight of sailboats, swimmers, birds — anything that would break the monotony of his bound existence beneath the waves.