The Tale of the Sailor and the Mermaid
Once upon a time, there was a sailor who loved the sea.
Saltwater flowed through his veins, and the evening light, which sank into the waves every night, danced in his eyes. His constant companions were the foam on the waves and the wind in his hair. His hands were rough from the rope, his skin sun-tanned, but his lips were as soft as rose petals.
One day, his boat plowed through the waves, over high mountains and deep valleys, the wind filling his sails with fervor. The wood of the planks creaked as the boat approached a rocky outcrop in the water.
A mermaid sat on the slippery rock, combing her golden hair.
The sailor fell in love with the mermaid, and the mermaid fell in love with the sailor.
Every day the sailor sailed to the mermaid, and every day she waited for him until his boat appeared on the horizon.
One day, as he once again headed for the mermaid’s rock, he was especially looking forward to seeing the woman of the sea. He had brought her a gift and wanted to ask her if she would come with him.
She sat on the rock, brushing her hair while singing sweetly. The sailor gave her two wonderful pearls, which he had spent weeks diving for just to give to her.
The mermaid smiled and kissed him gently.
The sailor asked her if she would come with him.
Her smile faded, and she stared at her fish tail before looking back into his eyes.
There were unshed tears in her eyes.
The mermaid vanished into the roaring waves, and the sailor into the spray of the churning sea.
The sailor has his place on the boat, and the mermaid has her place in the sea. In what world is fate so cruel as to bind two hearts together, even though they can never have each other?
Every day, the sailor stood at the bow, staring out at the vast blue and thinking of his mermaid.
Drip, drip, drip.
Every day, the mermaid sat on the rock, brushed her hair, and thought of her sailor. The light danced across the sea and caught in the nacre of the pearls that have adorned her ears ever since.
Drip, drip, drip.
Even today, their tears fill the sea with water and salt for all eternity.
The Tale of Love and Suffering
Once upon a time, above the sky of Tamenium, sometimes the sun shines and sometimes the moon. Sometimes it is day, sometimes it is night.
The sun rises and follows her course, sending bright light to every corner of the world. She wanders across the sky, following the sky’s path, day after day. Sometimes, just before she lies down in her bed, she can see the moon on the horizon. Yet with every step the moon takes toward her, she is pulled away from him.
The moon rises and follows his course, casting silver light upon the treetops. He wanders across the sky, following the sky’s path, night after night. Sometimes, just before he settles into bed, he can see the sun on the horizon. Yet with every step he takes toward the sun, he is pulled away from her.
Every morning and every night that dawns, the sun and the moon see each other for only a few minutes. The sun sends him her most beautiful and intense orange, and the moon sends her the silviest glimmer, before they lose sight of each other again and the horizon separates the two lovers once more.
Once every hundred years, the sun and the moon meet. Some say they spend one night together. Some say they spend one day together.
If you look up at the sky on that one day, once every hundred years, you will see the sun and the moon tightly entwined, united as one. Silvery light mingles with deep orange, casting colorful light across the sky.
After this night together, the invisible threads begin to pull at them once more, and the century-long cycle of love and suffering begins anew.
A Tale of the Lovers Sacrifice
Once upon a time, in a quiet valley hidden between silver mountains and whispering forests, there lived a young wanderer named Sarion. He carried the heart of a seeker within him—always on a journey toward something he himself could not name. Some called it happiness; others, destiny. But deep down, it was longing.
One evening, as the sky glowed with violet hues, he met her.
Her name was Helia.
She stood on the shore of a lake whose waters shone like a mirror of the stars. When she turned toward him, it was as if the world had ceased to exist for a single breath. Her smile was quiet, almost fragile—and yet it struck him like a storm.
From that moment on, nothing was the same.
Sarion stayed in the valley; he had reached the end of his journey. Days turned into weeks, and every hour he spent with Helia felt both fleeting and endless. She told him of the ancient songs of the forest, of dreams she never spoke aloud, and of a melancholy that lay like a shadow behind her eyes.
And he listened. Every word, every syllable.
When she laughed, his heart beat faster. When she was silent, he sought her closeness. And when she looked at him, he felt as though he were losing himself in her sea-green eyes.
One night, as the moon hung high above the lake, he found her alone. Her eyes were in tears, as if she had long since said goodbye to something that had not yet happened.
“I can’t stay,” she said softly. “I don’t belong in this world. It’s time for me to go.”
Her words hit him like a cold wind blowing straight into his face.
“Then I’ll come with you,” Sarion replied without hesitation.
Helia shook her head gently. “That’s what lovers say. They want to hold on to what brings them happiness.”
“And what do those who love say?” he asked.
She stepped closer and placed her hand on his heart.
“Those who love… set free. Even if it tears them apart.”
In that moment, he understood.
As dawn broke, Sarion stood on the shore while Helia slowly faded into the light. He didn’t hold her back. He didn’t ask her to stay.
He just smiled—with tears in his eyes.
For he had found his answer.
He hadn’t just been in love with her.
He had loved her.
novels by chiara 