On some astral plane, higher than either the Earth-realm of mortal folk or the Faerie where mermaids swim the seas, a being—some might call it a "power," was watching. It had one tendril-like aspect of itself firmly anchored on Earth, in the form of a creepy abandoned amusement park; another part of it existed in the form of entirely too many magical transforming starfish strewn about the tide-flats outside the mer-village.
Was this being a minor deity? An angelic overseer? A Lovecraftian horror?
Such paltry mortal-minded characterizations could hardly define such a thing. But it was no matter.
It felt grateful to Austin for not revealing its presence on Earth. Grateful to Anna and Aaron for some feeling analogous to "entertainment." And so it had sent the shooting starfish, whether that lesser being was yet another aspect of the entity itself, a splinter-soul; or a discreet being of its own in the entity's service; it was difficult to say. It always was where beings of pure spirit were concerned.
Regardless, the entity's intervention was now complete, and the story could take a new direction.
Metaphorically speaking, of course, it "sat back" to watch.