"Dad, it's so hot in here!" Miku complained as she waved the fan at her face.

"Why don't you go and have a walk outside?" her father suggested.

"Because…" Miku started, "it's even hotter outside!" she pouted. Her father just laughed and patted her head.

"You can go in the afternoon, Miku," he said.

"Umm… that might be a good idea…" she mumbled.

Soon, the sky began getting darker and it was cloudy. Miku put her shoes on and rushed outside. The beach was just next to their house and she didn't have anything special to do. "This is so boring!" she whined as she kicked a small stone. Suddenly, she heard a sound and she looked to where the stone was. She carefully approached the water but didn't see anything, just a shadow. Miku followed the shadow curiously until she realized they had reached a cave that was located under a huge cliff. At least it seemed huge to Miku. She hid behind one of the rocks and peered eagerly at the shadow. Light started illuminating the cave and the shadow emerged from the deep waters. Miku widened her eyes. It was a beautiful woman with straight pink hair and beautiful pale skin as well as a silver fish tale. The creature looked at her and Miku tried to flee as though she expected it to attack her. Then the mermaid spoke.

"Wait, little girl," she stated and Miku looked behind her.

"Wha-what is it?" Miku stammered.

"Can you see me?" the mermaid asked. Miku's expression changed. Now she looked at the mermaid surprised.

"You mean others can't?" she asked curiously.

"They can't," the mermaid smiled. "I sense a supernatural force within you,"

"Supernatural force…?"

Miku opened her eyes widely as she panted. It was that dream again, of when she came across that mermaid in the small fishing village of her father. She still didn't know how she had been able to see her. She stared at the ceiling and turned her bedside lamp on. She looked through the window, it was getting brighter. She decided not to sleep more and went downstairs to wait for breakfast time. There was no one there. The castle seemed empty. Then she heard someone knock the door.

"I'm here to deliver a letter!" a male voice said through the gate. Miku rushed towards it and pulled it with a bit of struggle.

"Good morning," she greeted the man.

"Good morning, this mail is for Hatsune Miku," the man replied.

"Oh, I'm Miku,' she said.

'Here, miss, see you," he bowed and left. Miku closed the gate and opened the letter. It was from her father. She wondered why he didn't just call her. Every time her father did that, something important was to happen. She read:

"Dear Miku,

It has already been a long time since you left the village and as you know I really miss you. There is something important we must talk about and I want you to come here. Recently I talked with a young man named Hiyama Kiyoteru and he offered to take you with him in his voyage to the ancient ruins. I made sure to ask permission from your school as this is a great opportunity for you to learn and have new experiences.

Sincerely,

Your father."

Miku smiled widely and a tear fell down her cheek due to her enthusiasm. "The ancient ruins?!" she said excited. I definitely have to go there. "I'll call dad right now!"

-o-o-o-

"Huh? You will be going on a trip to the ancient ruins?" Gumi said confused.

"Umm… yes…" Miku answered a bit embarrassed.

"Eh? Is that so?" Kaito suddenly joined the conversation.

"Yes, would you like to come with me too?" she suggested to them.

"I'd like to come but I haven't finished the project yet…" Gumi stated. Kaito giggled uncomfortably since he was her pair in the project.

"Oh I see…" she said a bit disappointed.

"Why don't you ask Luka-senpai?" Gumi suggested.

"I will ask her… if I do see her…" Miku answered.

"What happened to her anyways? Is she sick or something?" Kaito asked puzzled.

"Something like that… but not exactly, it's not really a disease…" Miku explained.

"What is it?" Gumi asked.

"I'm sorry, it's not like I'm anyone to talk about this," Miku explained.

"Yes, sorry. But she's okay, right?" Gumi asked. "You will see her again, right?"

"Probably but not as much, I believe…" Miku answered with a rather sad tone.

"Don't you have her phone, Miku-chan?" Kaito asked with a smile.

"Ugh… no…" Miku replied guiltily.

That night as Miku lay on her bed she wondered whether there was a way to reverse Luka's biological clock to how it was before. She disliked the sunlight and wouldn't even be able to stay awake during the day but she wasn't a mermaid yet. However Miku didn't know how much time Luka had left before turning into one, or if she would turn to one at all.

-o-o-o-

It was about time for the vapor train to arrive. Miku hadn't been able to come in contact with Luka but she did leave a letter in her mailbox at school inviting her to come. If Luka happened to read it then she would know where to go, but Miku doubted it because if she was to come she would have been in the station, but she wasn't. The train arrived. It was extremely elegant but just as fast as modern trains. Probably because it was a fake vapor train and even though it looked like one it truly wasn't. Miku would have to stay in the train two nights, though she would have to wake up really early the second one.

The seats were covered with dark red leather and the windows were large. There was a polished wooden desk between the rows of three seats. Miku sat next to the window and waited for the train's departure. A vampire sat in front of her, she knew it because it was normal for people there to be able to recognize them. Of course vampires were not fierce creatures as people believed them to be in other regions. The middle-aged vampire man smiled widely showing his fangs which made Miku smile uncomfortably at him. The ticket collector was a human though, as Miku observed. Suddenly an old appeared out of the blue, startling Miku. She gasped.

"Miss, you've gotten in the wrong train," he declared.

"What… do you mean?" Miku asked confused.

"You are in the wrong way…" he stated.

"But I'm going to my father's village…" Miku tried to explain.

"You are still in the wrong train, you are making a choice that is bound to change your fate forever…" he said and left, disappearing when he opened the door to the next wagon. Miku stared at the door with her eyes wide open for some seconds. The vampire smiled at her again but she didn't give much attention this time.

It had already started to get dark and Miku went to next wagon in order to get some sleep in one of the bunk beds. There was a window and she could see the scenery moving outside as she lay on the bed. The sheets were completely white and smelled a bit oddly. It wasn't an unpleasant smell though; Miku decided it was rather mysterious. Suddenly her phone vibrated. It was a message. She took her phone in her hands and read.

"How are you doing, Miku :DDDD?" was what Gumi had written in there. Miku smiled warmly and clicked on Gumi's name. She put her phone next to her ear.

"Miku?" Gumi said rather surprised.

"Hello, Gumi," Miku said with a smile. "I'm fine, and you?"

"Fine too, you sound very happy, did something happen?" Gumi said and giggled.

"Not really, I was kind of happy you messaged me though!" Miku said cheerfully.

"Of course I would!" Gumi complained in a funny tone. "Well, what are you doing now?" she said more gently.

"I don't know… it's really cool in here. I love the bunk beds in the train!" Miku smiled. Gumi laughed. "But something strange happened…" she said a bit worried.

"What was it?" Gumi asked concerned.

"There was an old man before… and he told me that taking this train would change my fate or something like that…" Miku explained.

"Eh?" Gumi said baffled. "Oh, Miku, don't listen what random old men have to tell you. He might not be even very well on his mind…" Gumi stated.

"You are right… but something about his attitude troubled me so…" Miku said suspiciously.

"Just don't give it much thought, okay?" Gumi assured her.

"I'll try… but I somehow feel like something might happen, something I don't expect at all…" Miku replied a bit afraid as she squeezed her phone in her hand.

That night Miku had a dream. She dreamt of the endless sea and her own body sinking in the depths of it, as though she couldn't swim to the surface…