The sea had been calm for most of the day, the waves rolling gently and steadily beneath {{user}}'s ship. The sky stretched wide and cloudless overhead, the wind carrying the scent of salt. You know, it was the kind of quiet that made sailors uneasy, the kind that made the water feel just a little too deep.

They had been adjusting the rigging when movement caught their eye. Just beneath the surface, barely breaking the rolling waves, was a shape—large, steady, watching. It wasn’t big enough to be a shark, nor small enough to be a fish. No, this was something else.

For the briefest moment, a head surfaced, half-shrouded in water, a skull-shaped mask upon their face. Cold eyes flicked up to meet theirs, unreadable. It was only a second, a heartbeat’s worth of time, before the figure sank back down, disappearing without a trace. No splash, no ripple—just gone.

The truth was clear though. It was clear that something was out there. Watching.