Grim remained standing before the wall carving, lost in thought, when he felt a presence behind him. A subtle shift in the air. It felt like he was being watched. He turned slowly.
The three sea creatures had returned. They stood just a few paces away, their blue-tinted skin glistening in the strange light. Up close, Grim could see more details – gills on their necks, webbed fingers gripping their tridents, eyes that were completely black without whites or visible pupils.
Their armor appeared to be made from the same material as the fragments he'd found scattered through the ruins. Overlapping plates that resembled shell or scale.
One of them, slightly taller than the others with a crest of what looked like coral growing from its head, took a step forward. It made no aggressive movements, but Grim's hand went instinctively to his sword hilt.
