Zanya had expected reincarnation to be disorienting.
But high school?
High school was worse.
The courtyard buzzed with morning chatter as she maneuvered through the familiar-yet-not corridors of Gold Coast High. She'd skimmed Zanya Bennett's memories enough to pass for normal, but her bones still felt like they belonged to someone else.
'Blend in,' she reminded herself. 'Stay out of canon. No mermaid drama. No moon pool.'
Easy in theory.
Except the trio she absolutely needed to avoid were currently broadcasting weirdness like a malfunctioning radio tower.
Emma, Cleo, and Rikki sat together under one of the shade umbrellas.
Not unusual.
What was unusual was the way all three stiffened every time someone with a water bottle walked by.
Emma physically leaned away from condensation droplets.
Cleo kept subtly checking her hands like they might spontaneously combust.
And Rikki—Rikki looked like she was fighting the urge to bolt from her own skin.
Zanya slowed, pretending to adjust the strap of her bag.
'Post-Mako… mermaid activation. Right on schedule.'
She watched the way Emma flinched from a gust of mist when someone sprayed a plant. Too sharp a reaction to be coincidence.
Her marine-biologist brain kicked in automatically.
Signs of aversion. Behavioral compensation. Stimuli avoidance.
'They're avoiding even the smallest water triggers.'
And if the moon pool had changed them canon-style, their bodies were probably reacting to moisture in the air.
She exhaled softly.
"I should not be getting involved in this," she whispered.
The System pinged anyway—an airy chime like a drop of water falling into a deep pool.
[MISSION UNLOCKED]
[Observe the Changed — Reward: 50 SC
[Objective: Gather information without direct interference.
Optional: Assist Without Interfering
Reward: Animal Crossing DIY Item]
"Oh, that's sneaky," Zanya muttered.
The System sparkled innocently.
She didn't trust it for a second.
Still… her steps drifted closer.
Not touching canon, just… grazing it a little.
[Infinity Nikki Shift — Outfit Equipped: Cozy Observer]
A warm shimmer rippled over her clothes—soft knit textures, muted ocean colors, a cardigan that fell just right. A faint aura of gentle charm dusted the air around her.
[Passive Bonus: +Minor Charisma]
She felt it immediately: people smiled more as she passed. A teacher waved. Someone held a door.
But her focus stayed on the three girls.
Emma's laugh sounded an octave too high.
Cleo sat rigid as a board.
Rikki looked one spilled drink away from arson.
Zanya hovered near a planter, pretending to check her phone.
'Don't engage,' she told herself. 'Just watch. Blend in.'
Yet her soul—no, something deeper—pulled her toward them like a tide current she had no power to resist.
The ocean's call.
Saltborn instinct.
She grit her teeth and resisted.
Barely.
The lunch bell rang. Students scattered.
Zanya finally exhaled.
"That counts as observation, right?" she told the System quietly.
It chimed approvingly.
[MISSION COMPLETE — Observe the Changed
Reward: +50 SC]
[Optional Success Triggered — Assist Without Interfering]
"How?" She whispered.
[Reason: Strategic non-interference prevented catastrophic meeting.]
"Oh that's got to be cheating."
[Reward Granted: AC DIY Recipe — Wooden Fishing Rod]
A little confetti animation popped pleasantly above her palm. Zanya huffed a laugh.
"Cute. Manipulative, but cute."
[AUTO-PURCHASE APPROVED BY PRIOR SETTING]
[Grishaverse Item Purchased: Durast Weave Undershirt
Damage Resistance +1
Cost: 8,000 SC]
"What did I say about deciding without me?"
Another pulse of apologetic moonlight shimmered.
She sighed.
"Fine. At least it's practical."
---
That night, exhaustion dragged her under fast.
And the moment she slipped into sleep—
Moonlight pooled beneath her.
Water glimmered like liquid starlight.
A breath—huge and ancient—echoed across the dark.
A voice brushed her mind:
"Find me…"
Soft.
Faint.
Desperate.
Zanya jolted awake, heart hammering, sweat cold on her skin.
The ocean's pull had grown stronger.
Something beneath the waves was calling her—
and waking up.