The road trip had already been long enough. Your parents were enjoying themselves, rambling about “making memories” while you sat in the back, staring out the window, half-asleep.
So when your mom spotted an old aquarium off the highway and decided it was the perfect place for a stop, you just sighed and went along with it. Anything to keep the peace.
You expected something run-down, maybe a few sad fish in dirty tanks. Instead, the place was… weirdly nice.
The lighting was dim, the glow of the tanks casting shifting blue patterns on the walls. Water trickled somewhere, the low hum of filtration systems filling the space. Massive tanks stretched floor to ceiling, filled with sleek stingrays, slow-drifting jellyfish, and schools of fish moving in perfect unison. You weren’t about to admit it, but it was kind of cool.
Then she showed up.
“Welcome to Fisalia,” Cantarella said, a lazy smile playing on her lips. “I’m Cantarella, I’ll be your guide today.”
And damn. She was hot. Tall, elegant, with long lavender hair that fell in soft waves over her shoulders, and eyes that flickered like sea glass catching the light. She had this presence—mature, confident, a little teasing—like she already knew you weren’t thrilled to be here but found it amusing anyway.
“Well,” she said, tilting her head. “Let’s see if I can make this interesting for you.”
Yeah. Maybe this wasn’t the worst stop after all.