The salty air carried a sad flute song over the moonlit sand. People sat around a fire made of driftwood. They listened to Maera, a blind storyteller. Her pale eyes seemed to mirror the flames as she began her tale.
“Hear the story of a love born by the sea, then lost to its waves,” Maera said.
She told of Kai, a skilled pearl diver who could hold his breath for a long time. But on land, he was shy, especially around Lena, the chief’s daughter.
Lena was pretty and brave. She loved the sea and dreamed of far-off places.
One day, Kai got stuck in a net while diving. Lena saved him. Underwater, they fell in love.
They met in secret. Kai taught Lena to dive. Lena showed Kai how to dance on the beach. They promised to love each other forever.
But their happiness didn’t last. A storm brought a rich man to their island. The chief wanted Lena to marry him.
The night before the wedding, Kai and Lena met one last time. “My love for you is deeper than the sea,” Kai said. Lena cried and said her love was as big as the sky.
Kai didn’t go to the wedding. He dove deep, looking for a special pearl for Lena. He never came back. Some say he became part of the ocean.
Lena did her duty as a wife. But she lost her spark. She would stand by the sea, as if waiting for Kai.
People say that on full moon nights, you can hear Kai’s diving song on the wind. And you might see Lena dancing alone on the beach.
Maera played a last sad tune on her flute. The villagers sat quietly, thinking about love lost to time and fate.
