"...Ugh..." I push myself up, a terrible headache pounding behind my eyes as I feel sand sticking to my skin. I look down and realize I’m completely naked, which makes my tail curl around my thigh.

"H-Huh?" I glance around, seeing a calm beach, but what shocks me most is when I look down and see a girl. She sends strange chills down my spine.

She’s tall, maybe around two meters, with enormous breasts and a sharp-featured face. Her eyes are a deep crimson, and her skin is a soft cyan blue. Her long hair is a dark shade of blue, and her overall figure is voluptuous, yet she radiates a strange, unsettling aura. On top of that, she has a strong scent of blood about her, and a long, blue, scaly tail. Like me, she’s naked.

"W-Who are you?...Wait...who...who am I?" I stare at my hands in confusion, but when I try to remember, my head throbs with pain.

"Glad you’re awake. Your name is Evelyn... Evelyn... Evelyn Ashcroft, that’s it." She speaks with a small smile, stepping a little closer. Her body is slightly translucent in some places, as if made of water.

’[Evelyn, don’t trust her! She’s locking your memories away with magic so you can’t remember!!]’ A strange buzzing echoes in my head, but it sounds so distant I can barely make it out.

’[EVELYN!! She’s dangerous!! Listen to me!!! No one knows you’re missing! All because you told Eve not to look for you!! For at least three months, no one will notice you’re gone! At most, they’ll get suspicious, but no one will come after you!!]’

’[She can only block your memories temporarily! But you’ll only remember if you fight her!! Evelyn, you have to resist!! She’s even worse than I am! I’m Arial! Remember!! She’s-]’ The buzzing turns into static, and I can no longer understand it until it fades away completely.

"Y-You didn’t answer me." I say to her. She stares at me for a moment, then suddenly a small, glowing screen appears before me.

[Name = Nerina Thalassa

Race = Nymph / Oceanid

Title = Devourer of the Ocean

Status Classification =

Strength = SSS+

Stamina = SSS+

Defense = SSS+

Physical Defense = SSS+

Magic = SSS+

Magic Defense = SSS+

Vitality = SSS+]

"As you can see, I’m Nerina, a nymph like you. Just look at your own Status." As she speaks, I eye her with suspicion, but I obey. To my surprise, a flood of information appears before me. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

’So that’s... me? Oh... I look pretty strong.’ There are some skills listed there that make me smile.

"How... do you know I’m a nymph?"

"Oh, because we’re friends, obviously. How else would I know? But you had an accident at sea, so I brought you safely to this island... Doesn’t thinking about the past make you sad?" As she says this, a wave of nausea hits me.

"..." I feel tears streaming down my face, but I don’t understand. I can’t remember why, but something about the past makes me uncomfortable, sad, and it hurts so much.

"You had a terrible past, but don’t worry. I’m here to help you, Evelyn." She steps toward me as I back away.

"D-Don’t come closer. You didn’t seem to know my full name earlier. How can you claim to know me?"

"It’s because you never fully introduced yourself to me. But tell me, don’t you feel anything when you look at me?" She spreads her arms, showing off her body, which makes me blush and look away.

"...W-What about my clothes?" I cover my breasts and private parts with my hands, dying of embarrassment.

"They were destroyed by the sea. Besides, I’ve been protecting you for about three days now. Look." She approaches before I can retreat, spins me around in the sand, and makes me look out at the ocean. When I do, I shudder violently. There are dozens, hundreds, maybe thousands of monsters in the water.

"..." I retreat weakly behind this nymph who claims to know me. But looking at my own skills, I can’t understand one thing.

’If I really am a puppet, as my skills describe, why can’t I remember anything?’ It’s not as if my body even needs a brain.

"...Evelyn, you don’t trust me, do you? But I can prove we’re friends. Tell me, doesn’t your sadness feel like it’s because someone important betrayed you? Because someone you loved destroyed the little life that was growing inside you?" She turns to me, caressing my stomach.

When she says that, I feel like there’s some truth to it. The more I think about it, the more nauseous and angry I become.

’[Evelyn... she’s-... using-... magic... she doesn’t really know... —--... s-she’s just reading your em-emotions-... a-and feeding —- on your sadness...]’ The buzzing returns, but even fainter and more garbled than before.

’How does she know that?’ I look into this girl’s eyes. She seems to truly know me. How else would she know something like that?

’So I was pregnant, and someone killed my baby?... Who would be the monster to do that...’ The thought makes me incredibly sad.

"H-How should I address you? And can you tell me about my past?" I ask her, still wary.

"Just call me Nerina. And don’t worry, I’ll protect you. That’s what friends do, right? I’m sure you’ll find a way off this island soon enough. But flying with those fragile wings isn’t an option. And I won’t talk about your past, since it only hurts you. I’m sorry."

"So, for now, do you want something to eat? Luckily, this island is full of resources, and the monsters won’t come ashore while I’m here." As she speaks, I glance back at the sea.

"Are you... a very strong nymph?"

"Ah, yes, little one. I am. I’m sort of your superior? I’m quite old, so I can teach a young nymph like you a lot. After all, nymphs should always stick together, shouldn’t we? Most people hate nymphs."

"...You seem suspicious... if you’re so powerful, why can’t you take me off this island?"

"I can take you off. But Evelyn, do you want to go back to the people who hurt you?"

"...I-I..."

’[Evelyn! A-agree!!-----... say you want—... to leave!!]’

"I-I don’t think so..." Why would I want to go back to a place where my body seems to feel so much pain and sorrow? I wish I could remember, but I don’t... I feel like I’m losing something.

’[Esther!! Re-remember E-Esther!!--... V-You love... love her-... Evelyn... you want to go back–... just remember Esther...]’ The persistent buzzing is starting to get annoying.

"Nerina... who hurt me?..."

"..." Nerina stares into my eyes for far too long.

"Hehehe, that’s a secret, Evelyn. I won’t tell you about that. After all, that person hurt you very badly, and it’s not good to force your brain too hard. If you forgot, maybe it was for the best, don’t you think?"

"Maybe... but I don’t want to forget everything..."

"...Why?"

"W-Well, forgetting is bad... even if they did me wrong, forgetting is just running away, isn’t it? B-Besides, didn’t I have anything good?"

"No, you didn’t have anything good, Evelyn. Only bad people who were taking advantage of you. If you had anything good, you wouldn’t be radiating so much sadness right now."

"But if you want, I’ll take you now. I’ll return you to the people who hurt you." She takes my hand.

"W-Wait, n-no... I-I just said forgetting wasn’t good... b-but I don’t know if I want to go back..." I pull my hand back, startled by what I feel.

"That’s fine. So you want to stay? Make up your mind, Evelyn. I’m your friend, and I’ll respect your choice. But if you want to go back, I can’t protect you anymore. I can only live near the ocean. If I take you back, I won’t be able to be there to protect you."

"..." My heart aches. I feel like I’m letting something incredibly important slip away. Maybe someone special. But the thought of being hurt again is terrifying.

"I-I’ll... I’ll stay... b-but only for a while, okay?" I don’t fully accept, but I don’t refuse either. I need to think. I need to be sure about what I want. This is too important a decision to make when I’m so confused about everything.

"Of course. It’s your life, friend! You decide. But while you’re with me, I’ll help you be happier..."

’[Evelyn!! Stop being fooled!... she-... just wants to feed... on your—... emotions... a-and she’s blocking me out... s-she knows I’m in here... s-soon I won’t be able to communicate... j-just resist! Once!------... Th-that’s all it will take and you’ll remember... g-good luck]’ The buzzing finally fades completely.

"W-Well, I guess that’s okay... so, could you help me learn to use my powers? I don’t really know how..." Demon Queen. That title intrigues me. I was a queen? But I decide not to mention it yet.

"Yes, I’ll help you. After all, you’re my junior. Besides, I see great potential in you as a nymph. You know, I’ve only seen nymphs a few times in my entire life, so meeting another is a rarity." She takes my hand and gently pulls me along, making me walk across the sand.

"What were we before? Just friends?" I ask her, using my tail to cover my private parts while my remaining hand covers my breasts.

"Hmmm, we were a little more. But I’ll keep that for the future. For now, how about I help you get settled on the island and heal your poor, broken little heart?"

"Heal...?"

"Of course. I don’t want to see you sad. Your joy will be my joy. The lack of memories is what’s protecting you. But anything from the past will just make you sad, so I’ll make the past not matter anymore."

’Is anyone worried about me?’ I don’t remember how I got to this island, and I don’t know if anyone noticed I disappeared.

’Nerina is my friend...’ I don’t feel anything bad when I think about friends. That only leaves two possibilities: either Nerina really was my friend, or I had zero friends in the past, so thinking about a "friend" doesn’t trigger any bad feelings.

I’d rather believe Nerina really was my friend. She’s a bit suspicious, but if she wanted to do something, she would have already, right? I was defenseless and unconscious on the beach.

"Nerina... thank you for protecting me..." I thank her timidly. She turns to me and gives a sweet smile, even if her gaze is a little frightening, a little wild.

"It was nothing. I’m just glad you weren’t hurt."