The currents shifted suddenly, carrying a faint pulse through the city, and with it, a ripple of expectation. From the shadows between coral towers, more figures appeared—Sirens moving like smoke and shadow, their eyes reflecting curiosity, caution, and something older, something that measured presence itself.
One approached more closely than the others, circling them slowly. "The paths are not simple," she said. "The currents do not bend for you. The gates are not merely doors—they are tests of awareness, of choice, of the spaces between action and consequence. Few who enter leave unchanged."
Rhys nodded. "We do not come to conquer. We come to understand. To act where we must, and accept what we cannot."
The Siren's gaze lingered on him, then shifted to Caria. "And you?" she asked.
Caria's grip on Rhys's arm tightened, and she met the Siren's eyes. "We act together. We are present. That is all we promise."
