Night fell gently over the shallow sand bar.
Up near the surface, the last light of the sun filtered down in dim shimmering bands, turning the small cave into a soft twilight dome. Lyria settled near the entrance, legs folded gracefully as she stroked the tiny seal-like creature they'd rescued. It had curled itself into a trembling ball, shell outward, only its big dark eyes peeking out at them.
Rex tried to sleep.
He couldn't.
Every time he closed his eyes, he saw currents twisting like veins of fate… and that strange energy still buzzing faintly in his chest. Eventually he gave up and let curiosity tug him toward the darker back end of the cave.
There, something caught his attention.
A faint vibration.
Not the movement of the tide.
Not the whisper of sand.
A buzz—muted but unmistakably artificial.
Rex knelt and brushed away the thin layer of silt.
His fingers hit something solid.
A box.
Small, metallic, smooth… and absolutely not natural. Strange, looping designs ran along its surface, faintly glowing in dull blues. It almost felt warm against his palm—a strange sensation underwater.
As he lifted it, the buzzing intensified.
Rex frowned. "Okay… you're weird."
The lid clicked open on its own.
Inside was a sphere—floating slightly, suspended in the water. Its surface rippled with shifting colors, pulses of light flickering beneath its shell like some deep-sea heartbeat.
Blue.
White.
Violet.
Back to blue.
As Rex stared at it, his instincts whispered—not danger, but significance.
"Yeah… you're coming with me."
He slid the orb back into the box, closed it carefully, and tucked it deep into his pack.
⸻
When he drifted back toward the mouth of the cave, Lyria lifted her head immediately.
"You were gone a while," she said, her voice soft and slightly muffled through the water.
"Found a… thing," Rex answered. "I'll show you later."
She gave him a mildly suspicious but trusting look.
The rescued seal-creature peeked at him from behind her arm, little shell still half-raised defensively.
Rex shrugged and grabbed his spear, slipping out of the cave with a smooth kick. The nearby school of large fish circled lazily, and with a quick thrust he caught one mid-swim. Its blood spiraled in thin red ribbons as he returned with it.
Lyria raised an eyebrow. "That was fast."
"Stealth master," Rex said, deadpan.
Lyria snorted.
He tore the fish open with practiced hands, offering half to her. The two of them ate quietly, ripping raw strips and savoring the clean, cold taste of fresh meat. Lyria tore a tiny piece for the little creature and held it out gently.
It inched forward… sniffed…
Rex extended a piece too. "Sorry about dropping a whole rock column on you. Really. My bad."
The creature leaned in…
And bit his finger with a snap.
"Ow-Hey!"
The bubbles that shot from Rex's mouth were almost comedic.
Lyria doubled over laughing, nearly floating upside down. "It likes you!"
"It bit me, Lyria!"
"Affectionately!"
The creature stared up at Rex with innocent black eyes, still chewing on the strip of fish—and still latched onto his finger.
Rex sighed heavily.
"Fantastic. I rescued a little underwater menace."
Lyria smiled, warmth blooming in her eyes as she gently pulled the creature onto her lap.
"He forgave you. That's what matters."
Rex looked at her, at the tiny creature, at the quiet shimmering cave around them.
For the first time in a long time, he felt something settle inside him.
Not fear.
Not uncertainty.
Just… peace.