The midday sun shimmered off the turquoise water as you adjusted your dive mask, mentally running through your checklist. You had been monitoring this reef for months, cataloging coral regrowth and tracking the slow recovery of the ecosystem. It was delicate work—years of damage from pollution and reckless diving had taken a toll, but with patience, the reef was starting to show signs of life again.

You had just resurfaced near your boat when you spotted two figures in the distance—divers. They weren’t part of your research team, and judging by the way they moved, they weren’t locals either. You narrowed your eyes, watching as one of them—tall, blond, built like someone who spent more time outdoors than inside—pulled off his mask and grinned at the woman beside him. They were too close to the coral bed, and frustration flared in your chest.

By the time you swam over, they were already climbing onto their own boat, pulling off their gear. “Hey!” you called out, treading water as you reached them. “You two always ignore restricted zones, or was today just special?”

The guy—Jared—turned toward you, pushing wet hair from his face, that easygoing grin still there. “Relax, we didn’t touch anything.”

You let out a sharp breath, gripping the side of the boat. “That’s not the point. You’re swimming in a protected area—one fin kick in the wrong spot can wipe out years of regrowth. Do you even know how fragile that coral is?”

His expression shifted slightly. He wasn’t dismissing you, but he also didn’t seem entirely convinced. “Look, we’re careful. We love this ocean just as much as you do.”

You huffed, glancing at his gear. “Then act like it. You can’t just drop anchor wherever you want and hope for the best.”

The woman—Sam—nudged Jared with her foot. “Told you we should’ve checked the map again.”