The Scarlet Reef: Ariel’s Lost Daughter

Fifty years after Ariel’s tale, sailors in the Baltic began reporting a new species of coral shaped like human spines.

A marine biologist named Dr. Ingrid Maren led an expedition to collect samples. The coral sang — literally — emitting frequencies that formed melodic patterns. One diver reported seeing eyes open in the reef.

Folklore in the nearby fishing villages spoke of “the red-haired child of the drowned queen” — a mermaid who grew roots instead of fins, binding the ocean floor together with her veins.

DNA tests on coral fragments revealed human mitochondrial traces.

One night, Dr. Maren recorded the song of the reef. When slowed down, it revealed lyrics in archaic Danish:

“Mother said not all voices need air.”

The recording has since been lost. But her dive log’s final entry remains:

“The coral moved when I said her name.”