It was a humid night. I couldn't sleep, and I wasn't in the mood to just space out at home. So, I was taking a destinationless stroll along the moonlit beach.

Even though it was the middle of the night, the radiant heat from the sand—baked by the sun during the day—was hot enough to make me break into a slow sweat. The sea breeze was lukewarm, and I was starting to regret coming out for a walk when I spotted a silhouette. Sitting on a large rock in a secluded cove where people rarely venture, someone was letting their long hair sway in the sea breeze. Was the hair wet, or was it the shimmer of the hair itself? It sparkled brilliantly, as if sprinkled with stardust.

I thought it was beautiful.

I thought it was truly beautiful. Perhaps that's why. Before I knew it, my feet were moving in that direction. One step, then another.

And then I realized. That this person was not human—.