Tides of the Moon

The Keeper raised a hand, and the waves behind them surged unnaturally, towering like a wall ready to crash down. Caelan's stance shifted, his body tense as he prepared to defend Divine.

"Wait!" Divine shouted, stepping forward. "I don't understand what's happening. What do you mean by 'disrupted the balance'?"

The Keeper lowered their hand slightly, the waves receding but not disappearing. "That fragment you hold is part of something much larger—something that was meant to remain hidden. By touching it, you've awakened its power, and now the tides are restless."

Divine looked at the shell in her hand, its glow dim but steady. "I didn't mean to—"

"Intent doesn't matter," the Keeper interrupted. "The jar must remain empty until the time is right. You've started a chain of events that cannot be undone."

Caelan stepped closer to the Keeper, his voice low and threatening. "If you think you can take her, you're mistaken."

The Keeper laughed, a cold, hollow sound. "Oh, Caelan. Still playing the loyal guardian, I see. But you can't protect her from what's coming. Not this time."

Before either of them could react, the Keeper vanished, dissolving into the shadows. The ocean calmed, but the tension lingered in the air.