Vi could not get used to being woken up by the waves crashing on the rocks or by the seagulls. She wasn't used to the complete absence of humans around her. Everything was unusually peaceful for her. It took her a while to adjust to this new reality.

Her daily routine was dull if anything else. She would wake up at dawn to switch off the lighthouse, then she would grab something to eat and spend a while doing some chores. She rarely ever left the place, only on specific occasions. Even when Ezreal wanted to hang out, he would be the one to come to the lighthouse, since the town was still in ruins. Every Saturday Vi would drive all the way to New Meadow to do her shopping. But every Sunday Vi would take her car and disappear for the rest of the day. She was always back in time, although no one knew where she went, not even Ezreal who was her only friend in the town. Despite his natural curiosity, he respected her boundaries and didn't ask intrusive questions, something Vi was grateful for.

Vi had a lot of free time at her disposal, which meant that she had the chance to explore the area around the lighthouse. During one of these exploring sessions, she discovered a wooden staircase that descended all the way down to a quiet beach, on the far side of which there was an old shipwreck stuck between the rocks. People didn't come here to go swimming, as there was a better organized beach on the other side of the headland, near New Meadow, but occasionally there was a group of kids that came over with their bikes. Their shouting could be heard even on top of the hill where Vi lived. Sometimes she liked to go down there and walk barefoot on the sand while the children played there. She didn't mind them at all and she thought it would be better if an adult supervised them. That brought to her attention another thing, that the wooden staircase wasn't very safe to use, as certain wooden parts had broken or were almost broken. She wondered whose idea it was to use wood in an area so close to the sea. It took her a few days to find all the materials she needed to fix it, but with a few planks and nails here and there the job was done. It wasn't a permanent solution, but it certainly felt safer for the children to come up and down if they wanted to.

At first, they were hesitant to visit the lighthouse since they didn't know Vi that well. Soon however it became a regular stop for them. Vi always kept a jar of cookies in her cupboard to offer to them whenever they visited, and they did quite regularly. Vi wondered why their parents let them roam so far away from their homes, but considering the circumstances they would rather have their kids distracted than face the destruction the earthquake brought upon. Apart from Ezreal, these five "little devils", as she liked to call them, were her only company. The mayor never visited again as he was extremely busy. Not that she minded anyway. She was adjusting just fine without his help. Besides, she preferred the company of these children more than anyone else's, especially when thinking about that idiot Jayce.

These kids often spoke of outrageous stories about mermaids, sirens and sea monsters, tales they had heard from their parents and grandparents that were fishermen. Sometimes Vi would stop and listen to them arguing. Their arguments weren't about the factuality of these tales but about which was the most impressive one. These debates were usually won by Zachariah, or Zack as he was mostly referred to. He was the oldest of the gang and their leader and his stories became more believable thanks to his sister's testimonies, although he did make claims of witnessing mermaids when he happened to be alone. Andy and Jimmy always listened to him in awe, despite the fact that they had heard the same stories a million times. Nora, although she was the most skeptical of the group, she also had her own stories to share. That was their legacy.

Vi happened to eavesdrop on one of Zack's stories during one of her beach walks. He was talking about how his grandfather got lost during a storm and followed a mermaid back to safety, but before he could thank her for saving his life, she disappeared.

"He only had a glimpse of her, but he never forgot about her," Zack said enthusiastically. "And he's pretty convinced we saw her again that one time I went fishing with him. Our boat was here and her tail appeared just over there." He pointed at the sea that was only a few feet away from them. "But we can never be too sure because he never saw her face."

"And how does your grandpa know that it was a mermaid and not something else?" Nora asked. "A dolphin or something?"

"A dolphin during a storm? Are you crazy?" Zack argued.

"I dunno. It seems to me Nora is right," Vi interfered. "Because, y'know, mermaids don't exist."

Zack gave her a face. "Just because you haven't seen one, doesn't mean they don't exist. Just like Santa and the Tooth Fairy."

Vi had to hold her tongue back and instead stifled a laugh. "Sure thing, bud."

Of course, she didn't quite blame them for believing in such tales. After all, they had grown up listening to the adults around them reciting them. It was only natural that they thought these mythical creatures were real. Vi found this childish naivety quite endearing. It was this naivety and love for story-telling that helped these kids keep their minds off the destruction of their home-town. Losing your home like that is never something easy to deal with, particularly for someone as young as them. Mermaids and sirens were their guides away from reality.

The walks at the beach were rather enjoyable, as long as the weather allowed such a sally. But as soon as the wind started blowing maniacally, it was impossible and even dangerous to walk by the coast. It wasn't that hard to be swallowed by the waves and thrown into the rocks. Vi had to cut these walks short. The children stopped showing up too. It quickly became rather lonely. Lonely, but never quite boring, as she soon found out.

The weather kept deteriorating. The rain rampaged New Meadow and it was a miracle there wasn't a flood. One day, Vi received a phone call from Ezreal. Apparently, a car got carried away at the nearby river and they needed extra hands to save the driver. Without hesitation, Vi grabbed her keys and drove all the way there as quickly as her Honda Accord would allow. When she arrived at the spot, she discovered, much to her dismay, that Jayce was one of the people that had responded to the distress call. She really couldn't believe her luck. But right now it wasn't the time to be petty, especially when there were lives on the line. An old man was trapped inside his vehicle under the bridge and his car would soon sink. There were no firefighters in the district, which was worrisome.

"Vi! You are here, thank God!" Ezreal exclaimed. "We need the extra muscle to get that poor fellow out of there."

"Where are the firefighters?" Vi asked.

"I called them ten minutes ago. They said they are on their way." It was Jayce that responded.

Vi looked under the bridge only to find the car stuck in the mud and the water slowly pushing it away. Soon it would be too late for the driver. "This won't do. Have you tried to get him out?"

"Of course we have! What do you think we've been doing this whole time?" Jayce retorted, receiving a glare from Vi.

"The firefighters haven't arrived yet and the car is drifting away. He's going to drown."

"So what do you suggest we do?" Ezreal asked.

"I got a rope inside my car. Maybe we can use that to get him out."

"That's very dangerous," Jayce argued.

"If you have any better ideas, please bring it on," Vi barked. "In the meantime, I'm gonna get the rope until you think of something more sensible, yeah?"

Jayce looked astonished but didn't object again. Vi came back with the rope. She called out to the rest of the people that were there to help her execute her rescuing plan. One side of the rope was tied tightly onto a nearby tree. The rest of it was extended towards the trapped driver, with Vi holding the other side. She walked inside the river, not afraid of getting wet, but not getting too far, for fear of getting trapped herself. Behind her, Ezreal, Jayce and the others were each holding a piece of the rope. Vi got as far as she could and then threw the edge of the rope towards the scared man who was sitting on top of his vehicle.

"Hold on to it and don't let go!" She shouted at him. "We will get you out of here, okay?" The man nodded. "You'll have to get into the water. Don't worry, we won't let you go, alright? You have to trust us."

The man looked hesitant, but in the end did as Vi had instructed. He dived into the water and for a moment they lost him until he ascended again. Vi pulled as hard as she could, trying her best to keep the man above the surface of the water, which was hard considering that he got stuck in the mud. With more shouting and more pulling, they eventually managed to get him out of the river just before his car drifted away, completely surrendering to the force of the water. The man was in a state of shock and completely covered in mud, but otherwise he looked healthy. He thanked everyone individually for saving his life, showing how grateful he was that they had all come to his rescue. The firefighters arrived five minutes after, only to find him safe and sound. They kept apologizing for their being late, and thanked the volunteers for acting quickly. Jayce, on his part, didn't lose the opportunity to scold them, pointing out that a man could have drowned, ignoring their excuses. He was right, of course, and it was the first time Vi genuinely thought he wasn't that obnoxious after all.

"Thank God I called you here," Ezreal chuckled, patting Vi's arm. "I don't know what we could have done without your rope."

Vi pulled her wet hair out of her eyes. "Ah, yes. All I did was bring a rope. That's where my usefulness lies. Not the fact that I burned my palms pulling this fellow out of the water," she joked, making Ezreal laugh in response.

Jayce looked over one of the firefighter's heads. His expression was unreadable, but Vi still didn't like the way he was looking over her. He excused himself and approached the duo with determined steps. Vi wondered what he was going to complain about. Ezreal looked uneased, but the older man ignored him. Instead, he kept his eyes fixated on Vi.

"Good work today," he said. "You got quick reflexes."

"Thanks," Vi said, not knowing what else to say. She was expecting a "but" in his complement, a comment that was going to set her off the edge and so, she prepared her retort. However, his next words caught her off guard.

"I believe we started off the wrong way," he said, offering her hand. "I'm Jayce."

Vi looked down at his extended hand, not knowing what she should do with it. Eventually, and with some hesitation, she accepted the gesture and offered her own tattooed arm for a handshake. "Vi," she responded.

"Thank you for responding quickly today," Jayce continued. "Seconds or minutes could determine the fate of this man."

"Just did what everyone else would do." Vi simply shrugged.

"Let's hope nothing like that happens again. New Meadow has suffered enough as it is."

"Agreed," Vi nodded, although she hadn't witnessed the disaster first hand, she was well aware of the impact.

"Can we count on you? We could use an extra hand here and there," Jayce asked, giving Vi another look.

"I'm a simple lighthouse keeper." Vi shrugged again. "But in case you need me, I'm just a call away."

"Thank you," Jayce replied, sounding sincere for the first time since Vi had met him. "Now if you excuse me." He acknowledged Ezreal with a nod before he departed, walking back towards the firefighters.

"Told you. He's not that bad," Ezreal chipped. "It's just that he has a lot on his plate. He's somewhat of a hero around here. He invented a device that can cleanse sea water and make it potable. Nothing like whatever's been around for the same purposes. And his family were always generous donors in the town."

"Yeah, the hero syndrome runs in his veins," Vi sneered. "Anyway, I'm off. I hate it when I'm soaking wet. These clothes will take ages to dry."

"I feel you," Ezreal grimaced. "See you around, Vi. And thank you."

When Vi returned back to Owl Point Reef Light, she hung her clothes on a string on the far side of the living room. Normally she would leave them outside, but there was no point under those circumstances. As the rain continued, she sat by the window and watched the waves crash against the rocks.

The following days the rain ceased, but it was replaced by a wind so strong that even the most skilled captain wouldn't dare to defy. The windows around Vi's house shook, as if they would break any time soon and that was the last thing she needed. The waves were enormous and no one dared approach the coast. No ships were moving in and out of New Meadow. Instead, most were locked at the harbor, dancing at the rhythm the waves dictated. Since Vi couldn't stroll at the beach, she tinkered around with a small radio she had bought from New Meadow a few days back. The item wasn't any sort of new, but she was certain she could make it work if she put the right wires in the proper position. She was so focused on her work, that she almost missed the knock on her door.

Who could it possibly be? She rarely ever had any visitors. It couldn't be Ezreal; the man usually called beforehand to announce his arrival. He wouldn't choose to surprise her either. The kids stopped coming around due to the weather and the mayor never came anyway. Vi left the radio on her table and went to answer the door. At her doorstep, she realized that her predictions were wrong; little Nora stood there in the wind, ironically completely breathless.

"Nora? What's up?" Vi asked.

"Zack! He... I told him not to... And he didn't listen..."

Vi grabbed her gently by her shoulders. "Hey, hey. Relax. You're not making any sense. Just take a breath, alright?"

Nora stopped her rumbling for a moment, trying to gather herself. She gulped, fear present in her eyes. "We... we just came over for a walk, nothing else. All these days stuck at home, it was becoming suffocating. We weren't supposed to get on the shipwreck, but Zack wanted to prove he could climb onto the deck... I told him not to, but he claimed he was a good swimmer if he fell... Which he did, eventually..." Nora sobbed.

Vi grew pale. No matter how good Zack was at swimming, he was still a child and the waters were extremely dangerous. He wouldn't be able to hold on for much longer. "Nora, I want you to call the port authority and tell them what happened, okay? I'll go to the shipwreck to try and help Zack. Can you do that?"

Nora nodded and Vi handed her her mobile phone before she stormed outside. She almost jumped over the wooden staircase that descended down to the beach and sprinted towards the old shipwreck, leaving her footprints on the wet sand before the waves erased them completely. The shipwreck was stuck between rocks, although at the moment most of said rocks were under the water and she needed to be extra careful with her movements. Andy and Jimmy stood near the prow of the ship, shouting at what Vi guessed was where Zack was stuck. She approached the two crying children and tried to comfort them as best as she could, although the situation was stressful.

"Don't worry, help will be here any time soon!" she shouted over the blowing wind and the two boys nodded, wiping their tears away. Vi drifted her attention towards Zack, who had been carried away by the sea and he was holding onto a sharp rock, looking as frightened as his friends. It was impossible for Vi to get to him, not without getting into the water herself, which was out of the question. She made a cup with her palms so the boy could hear her better.

"Hold on, Zack! We'll get you out of there soon!" She yelled, not sure if she was trying to convince herself of the boy. She felt utterly helpless in this situation and as the time passed, the more desperate she became, despite her attempts to hide it from the other kids. Vi kept her eyes peeled for any boats coming to Zack's rescue, but there was nothing. It made her worry. Had Nora managed to call the port authority? Could they even send a boat in this weather? Why was it taking so long? If their responses were similar to the fire department's, the boy was screwed. Vi chewed on the inside of her cheek, tasting her own blood.

Zack was exhausted and help was not coming. It was clear that he couldn't hold on the slippery rock any longer. Vi kept looking at the horizon for a boat, a sign, anything. But as the boy cried desperately for help, she closed her eyes momentarily. She needed to act now. When she opened them again, Zack slipped and fell into the sea. Without any more hesitation, she threw her shirt away and jumped into the freezing water.

Her skin complained at the sudden contact with the cold water, but Vi paid it no mind. She resurfaced and looked around for Zack. He waved his arms in his attempt to stay above the water while at the same time made himself noticeable by shouting as loudly as his lungs allowed. Vi began swimming towards him in a steady rhythm, keeping in mind her own stamina. However, the more she struggled, the more the boy drifted further away. Soon, he would be thrown into the open sea and it would be impossible to catch up with him. But she didn't give up. Instead, she quickened her pace, ignoring the salty water that kept splashing on her face. Zack on his part noticed her presence and stopped struggling. Instead, he tried to swim towards her, although he wasn't as strong as Vi.

"Zack, stay still!" Vi yelled. "I'm gonna get to you."

The boy, either because of fear or because of his own lack of stamina, did as he was told and stopped swimming, floating in his spot. Vi kept her pace, finally getting closer to him. She didn't want him to get completely exhausted by making all that effort to get to her. After fighting against the waves for a little while longer, Vi finally reached Zack, but they were still in grave danger. Only now did Vi notice how far away they had been driven from the coast; Jimmy and Andy were barely visible from where they were floating and there was still no boat coming for their rescue. Vi cursed under her breath. What was taking them so long?

She looked around them frantically, only to be met by several miles of water surrounding them. They were so far away from the coast that she could see the lighthouse and even the harbor of New Meadow. That wasn't any good. They would never make it back before exhaustion would take the best of them. Zack already barely kept his head above the water, despite the fact that Vi helped him float. Vi noticed a small rock that emerged from the depths of the sea, barely big enough to fit one of them. It wasn't too far away from where they were too. Vi nudged the boy to swim there.

"Come on. Once we get there, you can rest," she urged him and Zack nodded. They took their time getting there, courtesy to Zack's exhaustion, but Vi wasn't intending to push him beyond his limits anymore. All she needed was to make sure that he was safe and that the port authority would find them in time. Once they reached the rock, Vi helped the boy get there.

"What about you?" Zack asked, concerned.

"I'll be fine," Vi assured him, although she wasn't certain herself. She slowly felt the exhaustion catching up to her. Even just sitting there and floating had its toll on her.

The clouds became darker and the wind blew stronger. The waves became bigger and more terrifying as they crushed against their little safety spot. If Vi wasn't careful enough, one of these waves could kidnap Zack again.

"Zack, can you see anything from up there?" Vi asked the boy.

Zack shook his head. "I can barely see Andy and Jimmy, but nothing else."

"Not even a boat?"

"Nope."

It had been at least an hour since Vi had left the lighthouse and her phone with Nora. Surely, the port authorities would have been notified by now. Where were they? Why did no one show up? Vi started fearing that they were all by themselves. She looked up at the sky. There were no signs of the weather improving any time soon. The exact opposite, in fact; a storm was approaching, looking as menacing as ever. Vi needed to figure out a way to get the both of them out of this predicament safely. Above their heads, the seagulls flew in circles, croaking loudly, as if announcing the upcoming storm.

Indeed, a couple of minutes later, it started raining. It started as a soft drizzle but soon it became heavy. Vi realized how helpless they were. Maybe jumping straight into the water wasn't the best idea she'd ever had. She looked up at Zack who was sitting on the rock above her. He looked scared, just like she was, despite her efforts to hide it. She needed to get them out, somehow.

While she was trying to figure it out, a giant wave crashed on the small rock. Zack screamed in terror. Vi tried to hold on onto somewhere - anywhere - but the rock was way too slippery. Before she could react, she was washed away under the sea.

The moments she remained underwater were absolutely terrifying. She kicked her legs hard in an effort to at least get her head above water. Once she resurfaced, she coughed and tried to remove some of her wet hair away from her forehead before scanning her surroundings. The waves had pulled her away from the rock where Zack was thankfully still holding onto. The rain continued relentlessly, making it hard to see through the fog. The coastline had completely disappeared from her eyesight, so if help was coming their way they wouldn't know.

She needed to focus. Her number one priority was to get back to Zack. Without any further udo, Vi began swimming back towards the rock slowly, mindful of the storm and the waves that could easily throw her back. However, she was powerless against the force of the sea. The waves were bigger and stronger and the more she struggled against them, the easier they pulled her back. She could learn Zack's voice in the distance, but it was faint. She tried to focus on the rock, but she could barely make out its form in the fog. She soon realized that she wasn't even moving towards it. The sea was preparing to devour her.

"Fuck, fuck!" Vi cursed, trying to swim faster but to no avail. She no longer had the stamina to keep this up. When the next wave came, she couldn't resist as it dragged her below the surface.

Vi felt dizzy for a moment as she twirled underwater, almost as if kicked around by whatever entity ruled over the Seven Seas. Once she regained her focus, she tried to swim upwards in order to breathe. She only managed to get her head out for a moment before she was devoured by the waves again. She no longer had the strength to keep going. The need to breathe became even more intense but she couldn't. She had dared to challenge the sea and she had lost miserably.

So this was it. This was how she was going to die. Drown, almost like the man they had rescued the other day. What an irony. She thought that Fate was often very cruel as she slowly descended towards the bottom of the sea, her vision darkening in every passing second...

She had almost lost her conscience when she felt a force pulling her upwards. The last thing Vi remembered before succumbing to darkness was a fishtail and a pair of bright blue eyes...