Prologue

Andromeda Seline Fuentez has hated the humans ever since her friends and family died one by one due to the recklessness and greed of the people on the surface, or most commonly known as the humans. 

She despises them so much that what was deemed impossible became probable. Her strong will to avenge her fallen sisters and kingdom led her to make a decision she never thought she would regret. 

"Are you sure about this, Princess Andromeda?" one of the elders questioned for the ninth time. They knew what lies in the surface, 500 feet above, sickly and wicked humans. 

Andromeda knows it well, although no one succeeded from turning into a human, many mermaids and mermen died before in the hands of the creature with two feet. 

The people of the Sutra kingdom is also aware of the ungodly acts the humans had committed. They saw what happened vividly with their own eyes, the tragedy that occurred, 15 years ago.

Clenching her jaw and turning her fist into a ball, the eldest princess answered with determination. 

"I am..." she replied with fervor. 

"Then...do you accept the three curses?" the blind old mermaid asked. The big scars on her tail proved that she suffered a lot in her life. 

Andromeda gave a firm nod and looked at her shining golden tail for the last time. 

"In exchange for the legs, the humans possessed, you would carry these curses..." the deaf mermaid spoke, a wonder why she can speak despite being unable to hear. 

"Number one, you shall never swallow anything vile, this includes any alcoholic drinks made by humans, drugs and of course, animals"

"Number two, you should avoid getting hurt at any cost, physically. A wound no matter how small will trigger you to show your tails again and until you fully recovered, you shall remain in your mermaid form." 

"And lastly, the man whom your heart will long for can never fall in love with you" 

As the princess of the ocean whose main purpose of ascending to the surface is for revenge, this curse will keep her from falling into the trap of the humans. 

With her beguiling looks that resemble ancient goddesses, any merman and man will fall down their knees. However, one man shall be immune to her charms and that man is who she's destined to fall.

This shall become a forever unrequited love, as long as she's in the land, she shouldn't be swayed by any human.  Love makes one weaker, yet strong at the same time but Andromeda should firmly stand on her ground, any merman she can have, just not a human. 

The eldest princess of Sutra kingdom clenched her hand into a firm ball,  she will never gain feeling other than hatred for the creatures who abused their homeland for thousands of years. 

"I accept all these curses" she retorted back, not knowing that her words are the key to turn her beautiful golden tail into two pairs of legs.

Suddenly, the whole surrounding became filled with white and vagueness.  Her vision became blurred but she can feel it, her body being held up by someone upwards.

To not fall in love and to get love is the most painful thing a mermaid or merman can ever experience in her or his life, for love, keep the people of Sutra Kingdom lively. It was innate that every merman will feel feelings stronger than any other living creature. Even this act of Andromeda is an act of love for her family, her friends, and her kingdom.

Does she accept being rejected by the only person she'll ever love in this lifetime?

If she can get the humans to pay for their sins, then, it's all worth it.

'Retribution...'

One word that builds tension around her body. The ocean with which she lived for 46,000 years (23 years in human lifespan) suddenly seemed unknown, with her feeling of suffocation.

She can no longer breathe in the same place she used to wander. It scared her and at the same time, she trembled with excitement.

With her eyes closed, she awaited what new future lies ahead.

'Dear Gods, guide me'  she silently prayed with a heart burning with fire.