Even within the imperial palace, where enchanted barriers softened the currents into tranquil silence, something restless moved beneath the water.
The glow of coral lanterns dimmed and brightened unpredictably, reacting to unseen pressure spreading through the depths.
I felt it before anyone spoke of it.The sensation crept into my chest like a distant storm approaching across an endless horizon. Every breath carried unfamiliar weight, as though the sea itself watched and waited for something inevitable.
It was not panic. Not yet. It felt closer to anticipation; the ocean holding itself perfectly still before a coming tide.
Beside me, Azarus stood at the panoramic balcony overlooking the capital. The vast ocean city shimmered below us; towers carved from living coral spiraled toward filtered sunlight, luminous bridges connected districts like woven threads of light, and schools of radiant fish drifted through streets like moving constellations.
