Once upon a time, mermaids were merely a fairy tale. Now, they were nightmares.
They were not beautiful maidens who sang joyful songs, no. They were vicious predators that preyed on man, hunting and killing young and small. And ever since the flooding of the earth centuries ago, there was no place to run... No place to hide.
Some people found refuge in giant floating cities built in the vast oceans, while other survivors found refuge on islands formed by the ruins of old buildings, stacked upon each other.
Amongst those who found refuge on these artificial islands was Atlas's family.
Atlas's father and his two younger siblings lived in the remains of an old, dilapidated building that conveniently stood upon the other buildings, creating a makeshift home. Despite their home literally being surrounded by water, Atlas never ventured very far into the ocean.
There were many reasons, some of them being the fact that his father never allowed him to swim much in the ocean. Outside his regular training sessions, or his rare fishing trips, he was forbidden from entering the water. The reason was quite obvious.
Mermaids plagued the sea, constantly in search of prey. Being underwater when a mermaid caught you meant death.
Currently, Atlas sat nervously on an old crate, salvaged by his father on one of his trips, as he watched Raya, his little sister, playing with an old rag doll. His brother Haki sat quietly in a dark corner, reading a book. The book was worn out, missing plenty of pages, but he didn't seem to care.
Atlas sighed as he stood, his brows furrowed. He walked to a nearby window, lifted the makeshift curtain, made from some old plastic, and peeked into the abyss-like sea. The sun had set over the horizon, leaving a bloody redness in its wake.
"Dad is late today..." He mumbled, more to himself than anyone.
Haki looked up from his book, his abyss-like pupils looking to his worried brother.
"He's probably run into something; he'll be back soon."
Atlas dropped his gaze to the ground.
"I hope so..."
"Atlas! Where's daddy?" Raya's little voice chimed in. Raya was the youngest of the three, with long curly hair and big green eyes that could soften even the hardest of hearts.
"Don't worry, you heard Haki. He'll be back soon."
"Really!?"
"Yeah."
Haki crawled out of his corner and patted his little sister's head.
"Don't worry, you know Daddy's super strong, right?"
"Yeah!" Raya jumped up in excitement. "He can beat up all those scary mermaids with one punch!"
Haki smiled in response to the little girl's excitement. Haki, the middle child of the three, rarely spoke or showed emotion, but he tended to soften around his little sister.
Atlas watched the two before chiming in.
"That's enough now, Raya. It's getting dark. Noise will draw the..." He did not complete the sentence when the sound of hysterical crying interrupted him. The cry was primal and animalistic, sending shivers down Atlas's spine.
Atlas's face grew pale, and he dashed away from the window. Raya shot up from the ground, petrified, and Haki pulled Raya closer to him. They all watched the door, expecting something to tear it down at any moment.
Atlas grabbed a piece of metal, its tip sharp, and stood before his siblings. His breath quickened, and his heart pumped away madly. With each second, his anxiety grew, putting him more on edge.
Then it happened.
The door flung open, flying off its hinges. Then, bending its head as it entered, a tall, gaunt creature entered their tiny dwelling.
It entered slowly, making the three back away further into a corner. Then, it stood up straight, its ugly head reaching to the ceiling. It's glassy eyes set upon the three, and it broke into a weird grin, showing them rows of sharp, bloody teeth.
The mermaid let out a terrifying cry, as it set its eyes upon its prey.
Now, the hunt had begun.