Another morning passed by as the two kept their silent oath of not mentioning the night of the full moon, Kihimoto's phone suddenly rang but the human left it on the coffee table which brought Mero's attention to it as she picked it up "I believe I do this to stop the noise" Mero mused sliding the green icon answering the call.

"Hey Kihimoto come down here!" a man shouted from the other side of the line suddenly scaring the maiden.

"You are?" Mero asked confused.

"Wait who is this?" the man asked, "Where in the hell is Kihimoto?"

"Here!" the human yelled entering the room as he took the phone from Mero "Hello Mr. Yamauchi what can I do for you?"

"We got some big stacks down here and need extra hands be there in 2 hours top!"

"Yes of course sir" Kihimoto said bowing whilst speaking "Sorry about that."

"Quit your boot licking and get here!"

"R-right away!" Kihimoto said before the man cut the line making Kihimoto breath in a huge of relief.

"Dear sir, who was that man? And why is he mad at you?" Mero asked in concern.

"Um it's just my boss from work and well this's most bosses in jobs" Kihimoto explained as he climbed up the stairs "Sorry Mero but I'll be busy for the rest of the day meaning you'll have to stay here by yourself, is it okay with you?"

"Yes I'm alright with that" Mero answered.

(…)

"And this is it" Kihimoto said putting one last cable on the electric field dressed properly for work before walking over to the door before glancing back at Mero one last time "If something bad happens call me."

"There's no need to worry dear sir I'll be alright on my own" Mero assured before waving "Have fun at work."

"I hope I can" Kihimoto whispered tiredly as he left.

Mero turned her eyes towards the numerous and meaningly numerous items Kihimoto sat up for Mero to manage herself with for the reminder of the day ranging from essentials such as food to other insignificant items, Mero looked over the mountain with a nervous smile "Exactly how long does he believe he'll be out?" she asked wondering as she reached the laptop picking it up.

She spent some time admiring the screen being a beautiful picture taken under the sea showing schools of different kinds of fish making Mero smile being reminded of her home. However the screen did begin to darken snapping her out of her reflections as she moved the mouse before the system gone black "Hmm what is this?" she wondered seeing her movements of the mouse stopped on a folder which became highlighted the folder's name was called games, Mero learned about much of the human society during her preparation to take part in the exchange program and one subject that was of interests to her were human games made for their systems.

So with a smile the Mermaid opened the folders showing a list of games along with their descriptions of gameplay and even rating, one was some sort of an 8-bit inspired RPG, one was a shooting game, one was an impossible survival horror but one of them caught the Mermaid's attention being a visual novel game called 'Madness shadow' the tags read: a depressing love story can you find the light before the darkness envelops you?

The subject of tragedy while been questioned by Mero recently due to rather…unfortunate events, the idea of something based on it still brought curiosity to her, with a click on the mouse the game began running first showing the title screen before Mero opened a new file and was inserted into the game.

The game's prologue consisted of an ambiguous backstory of the VN's main character and heroine being on a peaceful silent garden accompanied by her father whom eyes weren't seen by the player. The prologue ended now showing the first person perspective the usual view of these games seemingly the prologue was a dream sequence as a character dressed like a maid appeared on the frame making the heroine wake up showing that she's a rich girl from a noble family, almost immediately Mero felt a sort of kinship reminded of herself even more so when the heroine entered the bathroom seeing herself in the mirror as a young beautiful girl with goth fashion taste.

Sometime passed with Mero still playing now reaching the phase where the heroine was to attend a school for elitist nobles hearing the chatter that a peasant man from a bottom of the earth family had been accepted into the prestigious school and like that the heroine pumps into him causing an awkward situation between them it felt exactly like when Mero finds herself in awkward situations with her host. The character even looks and sounds like him being a polite and respectful nice looking young man.

Mero continued through the game not caring how much time passed only filling her stomach with reachable food such as chips and soda, the point she reached being a sort of picnic date between the heroine and the man ending with the latter giving her a pendent saying it'll protect her when she needs it, however sooner than later Mero decided to make some choices she would ultimately regret for her playthrough.

First she allowed the male to come with her to the heroine's mansion for study resulting in a violent confrontation between the heroine's mother and the male with the latter leaving before apologizing for the trouble he had caused before saying nicely 'See ya at school tomorrow'. Mero then made the choice of the heroine having a talk with her mother about the confrontation only to be met with a nightmare fuel showing the mother covered in blood laughing manically with many bodies hanged on the ceiling most of them cut from the inside out causing the heroine to scream out of fear as her mother closed on her when a scary face but the pendant saved her.

The heroine's eyes woken to the morning as she tried to dismiss what she saw last night as a nightmare and met up with the man. A new chapter began with the heroine having a nightmare of stalking someone before killing them which started the next morning showing a dead student mauled and cut on campus during their late night study in the library, the male lead nobly chose to volunteer in the investigation and Mero chose for the heroine to join as well, more and more victims piled up in the nightmares and they all came true to the point the other students began suspecting that the heroine is the killer but once again the noble male lead steps up for her seemingly growing closer…if only he and Mero knew.

A huge swirl of bad emotions enveloped Mero as she began uncovering more of the heroine's true nature that her family is indeed cursed and that she's the latest victim the prologue which became less ambiguous was finally recovered showing that the heroine killed her very own father in cold blood and, learning of her past the heroine started turning mad turning everyone else with the exception of the love interests against her.

She reached the point where the military have her completely surrounded whilst the love interests tried to reach out for her hoping their relationship can save her but ended up being killed off in a rather scary looking imagery of the heroine mounting his corpse covered in blood with a mad glint in her eyes accompanied by a scary haunting soundtrack and mad laughter that performed perfectly by the voice actress, before guns were fired resulting in the heroine's death as she spoke one last monologue.

'You were the man who reached for me and I loved you but this's my nature not even the power of love could save me…but it's alright we can go to hell together. You'll be okay coming with me right my love? It is our tragic romance.'

'The End' white colored appeared on the screen, safe to say Mero was completely shocked by this rather than interested like before.

(…)

Dusk had come as Kihimoto tiredly made his way towards his house cracking his neck "Glad that's over with" he breathed a sigh of relief as he reached for the door opening it up "Mero I'm home."

"Ah!" a scream was heard unmistakably belonging to Mero this caused Kihimoto to run towards the direction without haste until he finally reached her room and opened it up.

"What happened? Are you okay?" he asked worryingly and cautiously looked around.

Mero calmed upon seeing her host she held her chest sighing in relief "Yeah sorry I was just swimming and hit my elbow, see?" she raised her damaged elbow with a smile.

Something about smile didn't sit well with Kihimoto smelling something fishy and it wasn't Mero but rather her behaviour, he looked to the window seeing the dusky sky "Um do you also have a dusk mode next to the full moon one?"

"Oh no, no, no" she answered with a chuckle before deciding to close the subject "So how was work?"

"Tiresome" Kihimoto complained as he slumped down in defeat.

"It is getting late we both should get some rest" Mero suggested.

"Well we do need dinner."

"It's alright I'm not hungry" Mero assured but her stomach wasn't on her side as it grumbled making the mermaid embarrassed.

Kihimoto chuckled in amusement "Don't worry I won't push myself too hard."

(…)

The two sat down across from each other's on the dinning room table as they ate quietly despite her stomachs earlier rambling the mermaid ate her food slowly and she didn't touch the meat preferring a light salad instead "Were you alright by yourself today?" Kihimoto suddenly asked.

Mero nodded and smiled "Yes I did well dear sir."

Kihimoto accepted the answer as the two finally finished their dinner.

(…)

Night had fallen thankfully for Kihimoto the full moon only lasts one night meaning that Mero wouldn't barge into his room, however a different kind of trouble would still befall them as Mero violently turned around in her pool sweating all over her body causing water splashes all over "No" she whispered fearfully "Please I."

(…)

Mero's dream

Mero found herself swimming in the dark ocean depths, it wasn't the first time she had this dream she always did since she read the little mermaid the popular tragic romance that the majority of merfolk wish to have. Bypassing one last row of seaweed she came face to face with the sea witch who mixes with some chemicals together she chuckled "Welcome little mermaid" the witch spoke before turning to her "How may I be of service?"

"I want to be with the human prince" Mero said.

The witch narrowed her eyes before picking a potion from her drawer "With this you'll turn into a human however be warned of the laws regarding equivalent exchange nature you gain something you lose something else. For human legs unlike any other each time you step on the floor you'll feel as if you're walking on sharp knives, for human lungs you'll lose your voice and most importantly if you are unsuccessful at capturing his heart you'll lose your soul and your body will be nothing more than a sea foam."

Mero like she always nodded accepting the offer before she swam to the surface drinking the potion feeling as if a sword was pierced through her body staring with her mouth and ending in the other side making her fall unconscious.

Time passed as Seagulls flew in the dusk "Hello are you alright?" a male voice asked causing Mero to open her eyes slowly adjusting to the light generated by the setting sun turning around her eyes laid at a man's feet's. Mero smiled believing she was found by the prince but something about him was different he wasn't a Danish man but a Japanese one he even looked exactly like Kihimoto and he wasn't a prince but a civilian; this shocked Mero who tried to question him but nothing came out of her mouth due to the potion effects "Here let me help you" the civilian said holding her up in a bridal style causing to her blush before she buried herself unto his chest.

"Mother I have returned" Kihimoto announced reaching the house of his and his mother making Mero even more shocked as the house looked exactly like the one the male lead of the game lives in.

"Finally" a woman voice she looked exactly like the mother of the male lead in the game "Who's this?"

"I found her laying in the shore and she was alone" Kihimoto answered.

"Kihimoto we already have enough troubles feeding ourselves we can't support an extra mouth" she complained.

"I'll not eat for her to eat" Kihimoto said causing his mother to shake her head in amusement of her son's kindness.

Mero nonetheless lived with the poor family until one day a soldier arrived "Kihimoto Kurusu you have shown tremendous talent and you posses a rare kind of magic for that the parliament saw fit for you to be sent to Sorcier's magical academy for education."

"Yes!" his mother cried as tears of joy creased down her cheeks and proceeded to hug him.

Kihimoto along with Mero reached the school him most of the talking and looked down by the noble children for his low status before he pumped into someone, Mero quickly came to check on him "I'm fine" he assured her before looked over to the person he pumped into being none-other than the game's heroine. Safe to say Mero turned pale she helplessly saw the events progress like her play through to the first murder, she desperately tried to distance Kihimoto from her but this caused him to push Mero away "You need to stop your jealousy" he said before turning his back on her on what would be the last argument between them.

Mero watched as the military surrounded the area once it was clear the heroine is cursed with madness but Kihimoto desperately tried to save her with Mero tailing from behind trying to save him but she was too late, the imagery she saw was the one in the game being the heroine mounting his bloody corpse with a mad glint and laughter "You wanted this, right?" she asked Mero silently and violently shook her head "Don't be like that it's beautiful our passion" she commented as she reached Mero before leaning in whispering "tragic romance and love."

"NO!" Mero suddenly screamed.

(…)

"NO!" Mero yelled waking up as she breathed heavily realizing she's in her pool she brought her hands up seeing their still whipped she coughed realizing her voice is still here and raised her tail fin not being replaced by human legs.

"MERO!" Kihimoto called opening her door in a rush "Are you okay?"

Mero adjusted realizing she was dreaming all of that "Y-yeah I just had a terrible nightmare is all, I'll be okay" she assured closing her eyes but felt a pair of arms wrapping themselves around her causing her to blush when she saw it was Kihimoto "W-what are you doing?"

"Comforting you" Kihimoto answered "I'll stay with you for the night to make sure not another nightmare comes" he tightened his hold leaning in closer Mero attempted to resist but a mysterious force worked against her as she buried herself in his chest before soundly falling asleep in his embrace.