"You useless bastard!".

I face the harsh underwater currents of the ongoing raging storm that makes the outside world dark and terrifying, their words on echo in my mind as I try to put as much distance as possible between us.

"You bring shame to the family".

Swimming closer to the surface of the ocean doesn't bode well when a gigantic wave takes me into its clutches, ice cold water that spins me around, breath knocked out of my lungs whenever another wave falls on my head, and it only serves to remind me of when my brother slammed me against the cave's rocky walls yesterday.

"You're a waste of space, I can't believe you're still around after all these years, you piece of shit".

"Should've died long ago".

I work my tail with all the despair that I've gathered throughout my life as fuel and miraculously manage to flee the dangerous storm that makes no difference between the two worlds, the two elements that continually clash together not strong enough to keep the winds from spilling underneath the liquid universe to try and catch me again.

"If I see you touch the food again, I'm sending you down the trench with a stupid chain around your tail. Get your own, bloody parasite".

I don't know how long I fight against a power stronger than me, the lack of energy making itself louder with every miles swam through the endless darkness surrounding me, no one in sight but the noises reaching my ears louder than my own heartbeat, every explosions of thunder sending sparks through my muscles whenever it hits too close, as if it too seeks to drain me of everything that I am.

Did they not take enough? All my life, I had to live with being rejected by everyone, and for what?

For having human mates, as if that was ever in my control.

A curse, some people called me.

"She'll bring disaster to our colony one day".

As if I could ever bring them down here with me.

As if I could ever find them.

The lack of light in this thunderstorm that seeps within the strong ocean blinds me with every flash of light that rock my world, and so it's completely unprepared when I make it to a rocky coast that welcomes me in harshly, head bumping against a hard surface that takes me out instantly.

Their POV

"Jimin, Jungkook, be careful! Those rocks are slippery, I don't want to see you fall and get hurt!" Jin shouts to cover the distance between their two groups, their two young soulmates impatient as they run and giggle, feet jumping from one rock to another with a carelessness that stresses everyone.

"I swear, if they end up falling anyway-"

Splash

"Oh fuck it's cold! Jungkook help me up!" Jimin gasps when he ends up butt soaked in a small hole of water, and when their maknae attempts to pull him out of there, the five other men become witness as a second body falls into the cold after-storm of the beach.

"Ah! Oh my gosh, it's freaking cold!".

Jin sighs and Yoongi rubs a hand on his shoulder to comfort him, it's not like they weren't expecting that to happen, but their oldest soulmate does have a weak heart when it comes to accidents, he's seen enough of what falling on rocks can cause to a body at the hospital to want to see it happen to his soulmates as well.

"That's how they learn, hyung, with bruised egos and cold bottoms. They'll be fine" the second eldest muses softly and Jin shakes his head, powerless in his desperation, he knows Yoongi is right but that doesn't make things easier for him.

"I had enough of Namjoon breaking his arm, I don't want another case like that ever happening again" he grumbles, words that have the concerned man pinching his lips in shame, that was such a stupid accident too.

"I'm sorry hyung, I promise it won't happen again, I just wasn't looking where I was going" Namjoon finds himself apologizing even if the event took place years ago and Taehyung grabs his hand to hold, because while it's long over, having to rush to the hospital after they got a call that their soulmate was sent there after a minor accident is not a good memory.

"You got hit by a car, Namjoon-ah, that was not just you not looking where you were going, that was you putting yourself in danger" Hoseok retorts as he follows the group in silence, his hands filled with pretty shells that found the shore thanks to the storm, he always collects ones with colours he doesn't have yet, a little hobby of his.

"H-hyungs! There's someone here!" Jungkook exclaims all of a sudden and every eyes snap in the younger two's direction to find them clumsily making their way towards a larger rock further away from the beach, something that even Yoongi is liking less and less.

"She's unconscious!" Jimin adds and that's all Jin needs to hear to brave the danger of the slippery rocks to join the duo, because being a doctor always has him rushing to any signs of wounds, be it from his soulmates or from strangers.

The others follow behind, the pretty shells Hoseok found settled in the sand before he wipes his hands quickly on his beach shorts, hands then taking Namjoon's and Taehyung's as they too make their way over, slowly but safely while Yoongi and Jin are already nearly there, the urgency of the situation making them agile enough to avoid losing their balance.

"Hyung" Jimin lets out quietly, shock all over his and Jungkook's faces, something that the two eldest understand quickly when they find him pulling the girl out of the water only to find a tail swaying in the soft waves, the bright red that should sparkle under the sunshine looking instead dull, some missing scales that look like they never grew back despite the skin's healing adorning the length.

"Shit" Yoongi breathes under his breath at the sight, a hand unconsciously going over his own legs, he'd never seen such a damaged tail before and it mentally sends a twinge of pain down his skin, that didn't happen overnight and they can only guess what the long scars crossing the surface mean.

"That red... she's not from around here, did she swim through the storm to make it here?" the merman wonders softly as Jin bends down by her side to have a look at her head, the dried blood hiding in her hairline enough of a hint to describe how she came to lose consciousness.

"Don't ask us, Yoongi, you're the only one of your kind we've ever met, if you don't know, none of us do. What I do know is that she's got a nasty bump on her head and she's freezing cold, which I doubt is any healthier for her than it is for us. I need someone to bring the car closer, and I need towels, many of them, we need to dry her legs so they can shift, we can't have anyone see her like this" the eldest human of their group answers with a frown on his face, his concern growing for the unconscious girl who appears not only wounded but under a lot of body trauma, he shouldn't feel so many bones around her waist.

"What's going on? Is she- oh. A mermaid? I thought they didn't swim around here, hyung?" Hoseok asks as soon as he, Namjoon and Taehyung reach their group, and Yoongi exhales deeply before shaking his head.

"They don't, she didn't come here by choice, that much is sure. The Red Sea is days of swimming away from here and she's really not in a good state, she probably didn't take breaks along the way. I'll go get the car, I'll be back with the towels, try and pull her closer to the beach in the meantime, and be careful" he answers before hurrying back from where they came, an urgency to his feet as he jumps from rock to rock swiftly.

The men share an unsure look before nodding slowly, and with Jin's guiding, they slowly edge her closer to the sand while still hiding what they can of her body, because they know that just like when they found Yoongi years ago, she can't be known as a mermaid by humans, it's too risky.

Since Jimin and Jungkook are already fully wet, they don't shy from descending into the water between every rocks when they can to slide her body over the slippery rocks, and it's only when they make it to the sand, when she squirms in pain before turning to her side that they notice the marks on her back, very familiar marks.

"You've got to be kidding me" Namjoon blurts out mindlessly when he finds on her skin their soulmate marks just as Yoongi comes back running, the car parked as near as he could, and when the latter notices them too, he freezes before swearing lowly, is this a repeat of the past?

"I need someone to help me while I wrap up her tail, lift it up softly from the tip and don't pull, that's very important. She lost scales on the way, you slid her on the rocks, right? She's very sick and underfed, they should grow back in a matter of weeks but these... she didn't end up here haphazardly, she was fleeing from abuse" Yoongi informs his mates while explaining the situation briefly, because this is a pattern he recognizes, though much worse than what he went through himself.

Jimin swallows thickly as he moves first to listen to his hyung's directives, the guilt visible all over his face when he indeed finds more missing scales on the underside of her tail, a look towards the rocks revealing a few floating on the water, something Jungkook notices too with a heavy heart.

"You didn't know, it's okay. We'll take care of her, she'll recover" Yoongi reassures them when he finds tears rising to the surface, Hoseok's already flowing down his cheeks as he stands by a restless Namjoon, the two of them unsure of what to do to help while Jin finishes inspecting her state as much as possible with a lack of tools.

"Did she get bullied too? Just like you, hyung?" Jungkook asks all of a sudden, and Yoongi bites on his bottom lip before nodding his head.

"Most likely. Merfolks mated to their own kind don't get marks on the back but on the front, we usually never get human soulmates, so it's very badly seen by our community when it happens. The closer you are to human civilizations, the more accepting they are but if my guess is right, she's coming from one of the strictest merpeople colonies. If you don't fit the mold, you're better off dead than alive in their eyes".

Jaws clench, fingers and knuckles turning white as they observe Jin and Yoongi lift her body from the sand with a firm hand before walking towards their car, they'll have to hope that her tail will shift into legs on the way to the hospital.

"Guys, come on, staying here won't change her past. Let's start with what we can do for now, which is to get her the required health care. We can get mad when that part is done".

Your POV

It's a constant beeping noise that pulls me out of the turbulent sleep that filled with images of the past for what felt like years, as if I was on the brink of death.

My body feels sore, incredibly sensitive and it takes me a good minute of working my brain to remember why, the memory of the storm and its invisible arms wrapping around me reminding me of what I was doing before losing consciousness.

I was fleeing a death sentence that had been put over my head for having reached maturity. Did I make it to safety? Where is this place? Why does everything feel so weird against my skin?

The beeping noise quickens and the sound of thudding on a hard surface reaches my ears before a touch on my skin makes me startle harshly, eyes opening wide in panic when instead of a flailing tail and the ocean's floor, I find myself wrapped in- what in the heavenly seas is this? Where am I?

"Hey, it's okay, you're okay, calm down, you're safe".

"M-my tail- my tail's gone, it's gone" I stutter with a painful heart as I try to make sense of things, I was swimming in the water so why am I here? What is this place? Why can I feel something different in place of my tail?

Hands cup both of my cheeks to keep me from squirming in shock and my gaze meets two coffee coloured orbs, his warmth on my skin acting like magic as my heart begins calming down slightly, though it's not enough to keep me from wanting to throw up, is this a nightmare? Am I dead?

"It's not gone, it shifted into legs. We dried your tail on the way to the hospital but with some water, it'll be back, you didn't lose it, I promise" the man explains so confidently that I can only nod with a trembling body, tears tickling my waterline when relief clashes with fear, there's so much I don't understand right now.

When sure that I won't fall into another wave of panic, the man slowly lets go of me before sitting by my side, and that's when I grow aware of the other people surrounding the... is that a human bed? Was I pulled out of the ocean and into human territory?

They all look as fearful as I am, round orbs glancing at me before they dare move a little closer, and one of them comes to stand by my other side before settling a gentle hand over my forehead before humming softly.

"You're recovering well, you slept for two whole days so we were all getting a little worried. We stayed by your side until you would wake up since we didn't want you to be alone when it would happen, how are you feeling?" he asks as he takes a seat and I blink silently at the... seven of them, five who are standing on... are those legs?

It's my first time seeing them in person.

I tentatively pat a hand down my waist until I get to touch where my tail should begin, and when my fingers meet soft skin instead of my scales, my throat tightens in overwhelming nerves, but I fight through the unease to try and move the new limbs, my brain unable to comprehend that I have one more to control now, how am I supposed to get both working at the same time without tripping all the time?

"Take your time, it's a lot to get used to at first. I grew up knowing what legs were all my life, but from the minute I ended up having them myself, I freaked out as if I'd never be able to move ever again. You get used to it, your brain will adapt" the first man speaks up before I can panic again, and I turn my gaze to him with unsure eyes, his words sounding strange to me, it can't be what I think it is, right?

"Are you... a merman? Are you all merfolks?".

"Not all of us, just me. And now you. We found you unconscious at the beach, you were badly wounded".

His eyes look knowing as he stares at me and I gulp thickly before looking the other way, except that doing so only serves to make me aware of the others' staring too. Who are these people? Why did they help me? Because they know what it's like for merfolks to be out of the water?

Another man steps forward before slowly sitting at the foot of the bed, a hand settling on the tip of one of my two limbs to reassure me, a sensation that makes me feel weird, why do I have even more tiny limbs that I can move? What's their purpose? What are those?

The man smiles at the feeling of my toes moving under his hand, he can hardly imagine what it's like to not understand his own body, but he can guess that it's quite the freaky experience.

"Maybe we should introduce ourselves for now. My name is Namjoon, and the two men by your sides are Yoongi and Jin. Then you have Jimin, Hoseok, Jungkook and Taehyung. What's your name, dear?".

They all give me a nod as their names are said aloud and when my turn comes, I remain silent for a moment, hesitant as to what I could tell that Namjoon because I was not given a name when I was born.

My parents refused to acknowledge my existence when they saw my soulmate marks and I basically had to raise myself in their shadows, with the occasional beating from my siblings when I'd fail to hide before they got home.

Yoongi's eyes grow somber when he understands my problem and he shoots the others a quick look before shaking his head subtly. Hearts sink and smiles grow tensed.

"It's okay if you don't have one. We can come up with one for you, we'll give you a name".

My eyes widen on Taehyung, what? "Why... why would you go through the trouble of finding me a name when even my own family refused me?".

Jimin's eyes fill with pain at my words and he immediately sits by Namjoon on the bed before sharing the shocking truth that I knew to never hope for, because it was too unlikely to happen for me to allow such an emotion into my pitiful life.

"We're not like your family. Why would it be troublesome to give our soulmate a name when she doesn't have one?".

Soulmate.

They're... my soulmates?

"Your marks... can you please show me the marks?" I utter weakly, disbelief heard not only in my voice but also seen in my posture, arms already ready to guard my heart in case that this would be some sickening joke.

Hoseok is first to react to my request, shirt raised over his head before he turns around to show me his back, and here they are, the marks that I know to also decorate my own skin because they were once drawn all over Natari's buildings' walls like some curse, all to ridicule me into hiding even more.

"This... is real, I'm not dreaming? I'm not dead?" I can't help but ask as the tears from earlier finally make it out and down my cheeks, a feeling I had never gotten to feel before because tears would usually get lost into the sea's salty water.

A hand to my cheek and I'm made to gaze at Jin's creased and beautiful eyes, orbs that look glassy with unshed tears to reflect my own.

"It's real, we're alive and so are you, sweetheart. I can't bear to imagine all the pain you must have gone through from carrying our marks, but I promise we'll take good care of you from now on. We might not be able to live in your ocean, but if you can give living on our land a chance, we'll make it worth the effort".

"And you won't be alone, Yoongi went through the same thing you did so he can help guide you, we all will" Hoseok adds as he puts his shirt back on, smile into the shape of a heart, has anyone ever told him how bright and beautiful it looks on him?

Unsure of what to say, I let my eyes fall on the one who has been entirely silent throughout our interaction, Jungkook. He startles when he finds me staring at him and blushes a bright red that makes Taehyung release a soft coo before wrapping an arm around his waist.

"Jungkook is shy around pretty people, he'll need some time before he can behave normally, please be patient with him" the latter explains and Jungkook sputters bashfully at being outed like this without warning, something that puts a small smile on my face.

It's the first time someone calls me pretty, and strangely, I want to believe those words, with all of my heart.

"If my staying with you is what you all want... then I'm fine with it" I muse, and instantly do smiles appear on every faces, as if they had remained with the fear that I would go back to the ocean despite having met them.

"You're just going to have to explain to me how those... legs work. And why I have these things on each..."

"Feet? Are you talking about your toes?".

"Are we really going to have that conversation again? Oh dear. Yoongi, it's your turn, I can't go through that again".

"Tsk. Fine. Go get breakfast in the meantime, I'll explain it all to her".

"Thank god. Let's go guys, I'm starving and I'm sure our sweet girl will be hungry for food too. We'll see you later, sweetheart".

I observe as the six humans usher out of the room with quick feet, and when the door closes behind them, Yoongi sighs with a shake of the head before letting his gaze fall on me.

"Alright, let's get this started with now before they come back. Toes. You might think them useless at first glance, but they actually do a shitload of things that will absolutely shock you out of your mind. I can't believe the responsibility they carry when they're shorter than our fingers".

And so begins my transition from living as a mermaid to living in this strange world as a human.

From one cold ocean to a land of love.