The World Without Land

"Ummm, I don't remember swimming that far. Where is the beach, and where are other people?!"
Marina was slightly panicking.
"I should calm down. I'm sure if I swim back that after a few minutes I'll see the shore. Better to free my hands first, then."
She said while putting the bracelet on her wrist. Marina swam fast in hopes of reaching land soon. However, as the minutes were passing and her strength fading, panic returned.
Can't go on any longer. So exhausted. Where is everyone? I'm scared. And why is the sea suddenly colder?!
Just as Marina was on the verge of tears, she spotted something in the distance.
"It's a... It's a boat! There is a person on the boat too! Heeey, hey! Help! SOS!"
Please be normal; please be a normal person. Well, in the worst-case scenario, I'll run as soon as I reach the beach.
"Over here!" Marina was yelling and waving to catch the person's attention.
It was a small rowboat with one young man inside. Once the boy realized someone was there, he quickly rowed to
where Marina was.
The youngster reached his hand while talking in some weird language that sounded like gibberish to Marina.
Ohh, a tourist.
She thought.
Although Marina was feeling worn out, she grabbed the boy's hand and climbed onto the boat. In front of her was a young man with light faded blue eyes and short fluffy honey hair. The boy was wearing a white sleeveless shirt and dark blue capri pants. He had a light blue windbreaker jacket and black flip-flops on his feet.
"Thank you so much." Marina said to her savior. The young man replied again in that weird language. From the tone of his voice and body language, it appeared as if he was asking how she was.
Ohh, right, he probably doesn't understand Croatian.
"Ahm, do you speak English?" She said awkwardly. The boy had a confused look on his face.
"Italian? German? Polish? Slovenian? Ohh, or French?"
I'll be honest, it didn't sound like any of those, but I don't want to mention a language if I can't even say hello in it. He already doesn't speak English. It'd be super awkward. I need conversation material.
The boy started talking again.
Oh no, I don't know what he is saying!
Wait, I know. Time for my charade skills.
Marina was impersonating swimming, then pointing to herself, looking around, and rapidly moving her arms in panic.
The young man had a worried expression on his face. The boy said something again, like he was trying to calm her down.
Oh no, he must think I'm crazy!
My head is spinning. I feel exhausted, and my vision is getting blurry. I should sit.
In the next moment, Marina fainted.
She was woken up by a sweet smell of tea and freshly baked muffins.
Huh? Where... am I?
Marina was lying on a big bed in an unknown house. It was a spacious room with a balcony. Just as she got up, someone opened the door. Marina turned around. A girl with long wavy light pink hair and green eyes greeted her again in a language that Marina could neither understand nor speak.
What was rather unusual about this girl was the fact she had a pair of wings on her back. However, Marina wasn't fazed by it at all.
Fairy cosplay. She looks gorgeous!
Ohh, now I get it. The tourist guy brought me here to talk to the cosplay girl because she speaks English, and this must be a hotel they're both staying at. It has to be.
"Hello." Marina said to the girl with wings.
Unfortunately for her, the young lady continued to speak in the weird language.
"You speak English... right?"
The girl spoke unknown words again, but this time she invited Marina to come sit with her at the table in the room. She put down the golden tray with muffins and tea. Both of them sat down. The girl pointed at the teacup, suggesting Marina drink it.
Smells like normal tea. I still have no idea where I am or who these people are, and I really don't remember this village having any fancy hotels that look like this. Sure it has hotels, but not this fancy! Did they open a new one? Can I trust this girl? Is this tea poisoned?! Okay, let's not panic. It's just a tea. Maybe she just wants to be nice to me because I fainted on the boat and... Aghhh, that's right, I fainted! Who knows how many hours have passed since then? Maybe this girl is waiting for her parents or anyone responsible to show up who possibly speaks either Croatian or English, and she told them what happened, and they will take me home. Yeah, let's go with that.
Marina drank tea. In the next moment she felt a strange shock.
What's happening?! So much information is flooding my brain at once.
I feel like I'm going to explode!
"Can you understand me now?"
The girl spoke in a calm voice.
"Yes!" Marina quickly replied.
The weird noise in my head finally stopped, but what was that? And wait a minute, how can I understand her now?
"But how? What language is this? This alissss-
"Alisian, the fairy language."
"Yes, that. Wait, why do I have that information in my brain? What's going on?!"
And wait, did she say fairy language?!
"I see you're confused."
The girl with wings chuckled.
"There is no reason to panic. I just synchronized our minds and shared my knowledge of the language with you."
"You did that with tea?! What did you put in this cup?!"
"Ha ha, no. Tea is just here to calm you down and increase your focus. Otherwise the shock would be harder to endure."
"Ohh, how nice." Marina was sarcastic.
This girl is obviously crazy, but I have to play along in order to get back home.
"Don't worry, mermaid lady, I will save you!" It was that boy again. He stormed the room and splashed Marina with a big bucket of cold water.
"Aaaaa!" Marina screamed.
"Ooof, I was just going to suggest that you change your clothes." The odd girl with tea commented.
"What is wrong with you?!" Marina was angry.
"I'm so sorry! I... I thought you were a mermaid and panicked. I know mermaids can't stay for long on the surface without water, so I wanted to save you... But I guess you're not one of them. Again, I'm so sorry, and... Aaahh, you can speak Alisian after all! "
He was surprised.
"Okay, now I can understand the words that come out of your mouth, but I don't get what you're saying. First fairies, now mermaids? What are you, a five-year-old?" Marina still sounded upset.
"Finn, I really don't think she is a mermaid." The girl took another sip from a cup.
"Well, I did have another theory too. I thought she was either a mermaid or one of the people from last night's albatross party. I heard a few of them fell in the sea."
The young man responded.
"That theory makes way more sense than saying someone was swimming deliberately." She nodded.
"Huh? Why not? What's weird about swimming?" Marina asked both of them with a confused look on her face.
"Why," you ask. Everyone in the whole world knows how swimming in the sea is dangerous. Even the crazy explorers wouldn't dare to go unprepared." The lady with wings glanced at the boy.
"The whole world? What?"
And then my parents say I'm the drama queen.
Marina raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms.
"Listen, I was literally on the beach today. There were a lot of people, everyone was swimming, and things were normal, so I'd appreciate if you could just show me the way to the beach, and I'll go home from there by myself."
"Did you just say beach? You... You don't seem to lie, but how is that possible?" The girl was shocked.
"Why would I lie about that? Can you take me to the beach, or will I have to figure that out on my own as well?"
Marina sounded frustrated.
I just want to go home, and these people are only talking nonsense.
"I'm sorry, but we can't take you to the beach...but not because we don't want to. It's because that's impossible. There has been no beach here nor in the whole world for almost a century." The girl said in a serious tone.
"Huuuuh?!" Marina was in disbelief.
"The way you sound... It's like you are not from this world."
"What are you saying? No beach? It can't be. Please tell me it's just a prank. Yeah, that's right, you and this guy just wanted to tease me." Marina was trying not to panic.
"Just look outside and you'll understand. I assure you, we're not trying to deceive you in any way."
As soon as the girl said those words, Marina rushed to the balcony. She couldn't believe her eyes. Islands were hovering in the air all around them. It took only a moment to realize how this house and balcony were on one such island too. However, down below, no matter how far a person would look, they would see nothing but the ocean. There was no land, islands, or beaches.
"Wow!" Marina was both scared and amazed at the same time.
I'm starting to think I'm no longer on Earth. Is it possible? Am I really in another world?!