I slowed down as the rocks marking the entrance to the reef came into view. I placed my hands on the rough stone and pulled myself up slightly. A school of fish quickly darted away as they caught sight of me, and I pushed myself through the narrow opening. The seawater here was warmer, and the powerful current of the open sea gave way to calmer waters.

A light tingling spread through my scales, a sign that the magic of the reef was welcoming me. I took a deep breath. The reef was my home, a safe haven hidden behind the colorful rocks. A sanctuary known to few creatures of the deep.

I swam calmly along the corals, and a few fish gently brushed against my tail in greeting. I had been gone for a long time—too long.

Suddenly, a cold current brushed against my stomach, and I immediately froze in the water. An unfamiliar tension lingered in the water, something I only noticed just now. It felt as though the sea was trying to tell me something. Carefully, I flicked my tail and swam out of the cold current toward a high rock that jutted above the surface.

Slowly, I let myself break through the water's surface. A cool breeze whispered softly over the water, and a seagull cawed in the distance. I pulled myself up onto the warm rock. My eyes needed a moment to adjust to the bright sunlight, which soon began to warm my tail.

I looked out over the shore. Cliffs taller than the largest ship towered above me. My gaze fixed on the far horizon where the sky seemed to kiss the ocean. There was something in the air, something I couldn't quite place. The waves crashed harder than usual against the rocks. There was an unexplainable unrest in the air, as if the reef already knew what was wrong.

My fingers traced the stone where I sat, while my eyes followed a bird diving into the water.

Then I heard them. Deep, heavy voices echoed against the towering cliffs, filling the air above the reef. Quickly, I dove back into the water and hid behind the rock just below the surface. A silhouette stepped out from behind the rocks above the water.