Chapter 61: High Tider

Kyren signals the others to spread out, his movements quick and decisive. The hunters fan out, their eyes scanning the surroundings. But as they approach the kelp, something strange catches Kyren's attention.

"Hold," he whispers, his voice carrying through the water in rippling vibrations.

The other hunters freeze, their senses sharpening. Beyond the kelp, faint lights pulse in a rhythmic dance—soft blues and greens that seem almost alive. Kyren swims closer, carefully parting the fronds of seaweed. What he sees makes his gills flutter in astonishment.

There, gliding gracefully through the water, an unfamiliar species. Its upper body is humanoid, with translucent, glowing skin that shifts in subtle patterns of light. Its arms are long and slender, ending in webbed fingers. But from the waist down, its body tapers into a shimmering, fish-like tail, its scales glinting with hues of silver and teal.