Underneath the hypothermic layer of the sea, the sun's rays looked like floating jewels. And it usually gave no indication of what was happening on the surface.

Creatures under the sea had survived eons whilst war and famine raged on above them, blissfully unaware.

Unless you were Julian. Julian somehow always found a way to make it to the top. If only to hear the birds above him. It was one of his favorite sounds. The others being; in no particular order: the laughter from his siblings, the waves crashing on a nearby beach, and the muffled tinkle that his treasures always made when they bumped into each other in his cave. Of course, the first was rare, now that he was a sibling down. The second was "forbidden" seeing as how that was the reason he had lost a piece of his heart to begin with. The third..well. The third was forbidden. But Julian had an adrenaline junkie's streak in him and he refused to stop hoarding his treasures.

Then again, as Julian's mind turned to that day that his sister, Livvy, had followed him to the beach where he occasionally looked for the things that humans threw away and— his mind broke from that line of thinking before he could get in real trouble. Perhaps he should stop coming to the beach. But Livvy wouldn't have wanted that. All she ever wanted was her family happy and collecting these treasures were his way to be happy.

The stolen moments that treasure seeking brought him were a Poseidon-send. They afforded him a respite from being his family's caretaker. He was the only one they depended on. Helen sometimes sent money when she could spare it, but she was traveling through the oceans and looking for jobs so that his family could move and have a better life. Mark, well...Mark was the babysitter.

Maybe the kids are taking care of him.. Julian shook his head. Mark had suddenly returned after being kidnapped and he was hopelessly lost. Julian didn't want to think about what had been done to him to make him like.. A child again.

The sparkle of a possible treasure brought Julian out of his mind and back to his hunt.

The necklace was a delicate chain and from it hung a single ring. The thick, silver ring was embossed with thorns and something that looked like castle towers. The design was weird and unique. Exactly what Julian loved to collect.

The necklace, somehow retaining its shine even at the bottom of the sea, was exquisitely made. The silver glinted and the ring was heavy, a sure indicator that the metal used to forge it was real. The design was etched in by a steady hand and the chain's links were small and barely noticeable but held fast when Julian pulled on it to test the strength of the clasp.

As Julian was admiring the craftsmanship, a shadow passed over him. He didn't pay any mind to it; ships passed by all the time. However, this time, it wasn't a ship. It would be a storm so powerful his entire life would change.

The wind started howling above the surface, so powerful that Julian heard it at the bottom.

He looked up, surprised. Not even during the hurricanes that were so prevalent nowadays did the merpeople hear the wind under the sea. The churning started just below the surface, reaching lower and lower with every second. Until, finally, it reached where Julian was. He had tried to escape it. Swum his hardest but there was nothing he could do as his vision became pitch black.

Above the surface, the majestic ship The Cordelia was bracing for the storm. Its' captain, the fearsome pirate Carstairs, was at the helm watching with worried eyes.

The ship was not only her pride and joy but it had tremendous sentimental value. Her parents had given it to her just before they were captured and hung as pirates. The love between was always palpable and Emma had hoped, at least as a little girl, that she would find someone like that. Of course, as the years passed and their death grew farther and farther away she didn't give the dream as much hope as she once had.

Now her hope was to make it to shore still alive.

The storm had been forecasted. But nobody had been prepared for its power. Emma ordered the entire crew below deck. Everyone obeyed. Captain Carstairs always put on airs of being fearsome and terrifying but her crew knew different. She genuinely cared about each and every one of them. Her parents had been the same way and the captain had learned by example. The first mate, the same one her parents had taught, had always seen the captain through a father's eyes. He, being the same age as her parents had they not gotten caught, was beloved by Emma and she beloved by him. Of course, all this affection interchanged by the captain and the crew meant that the crew respected and was unfailingly loyal to the captain.

The wind howling, the captain tried to maneuver the ship towards the outskirts of the storm. Emma felt tugging on the wheel. Looking over her shoulder, she saw the first mate trying to help her. She should have known better than to think he would stay below when she was still above.

The captain would never admit it but she really needed his help. Who knows how bad the damage would have been if he hadn't helped her when he did.

But nonetheless, there was damage. And as Emma flew off the deck and into the churning water below, she knew there was going to be heartbreak.