Sophie’s heart pounded as the cloaked woman vanished into the shadows, leaving the shades snarling on the reef. Marin’s wave held them at bay, but Sophie’s silver tide had already faded. Her notebook trembled in her hands, its new page glowing with words she didn’t recognize: The Tidecaller’s heart wakes the moon. What did that mean?

“Sophie, focus!” Kael shouted, pulling her toward the beach. His tail shimmered, shifting into legs as he stepped onto the sand. “We need to get to Moonhaven!”

“Moonhaven?” Sophie stumbled after, Lumi’s glow lighting their path. The shades’ hisses echoed behind them.

“It’s a sanctuary,” Marin said, her staff still raised. “Tidecallers train there. You’re not ready for this fight.”

Sophie’s cheeks burned. She wasn’t ready for any of this. Back home, she hid behind her stories. But the mark on her wrist pulsed, and her notebook felt alive, urging her forward.

They reached a cliff overlooking a glowing lagoon. Below, a village of pearl-like huts nestled among coral spires, lit by floating orbs of moonlight. “That’s Moonhaven,” Kael said, grinning. “Safe—for now.”

Marin led them down a winding path, the shades’ cries fading. Sophie clutched her notebook, glancing at the strange page. The words shimmered, almost moving. Lumi hovered close. “Your stories hold power, Sophie. They’re tied to Thalindra.”

“My stories?” Sophie frowned. “They’re just… made-up.”

“Not here,” Lumi said softly. “You’ll see.”

In Moonhaven, tidewatchers in wave-carved armor greeted them. An elder, her hair silver as the moon, approached. “I’m Elara,” she said, her eyes kind but sharp. “You’re the Tidecaller we’ve awaited. The curse grows stronger, and your mark is our hope.”

Sophie shifted uncomfortably. “I don’t know how to be a hope. I barely know what’s happening.”

Elara smiled. “You will learn. Come, rest and train.”

They led Sophie to a hut with a bed of soft seaweed and a window overlooking the lagoon. Kael flopped onto a chair, his grin infectious. “Not bad, right? Stick with me, and you’ll be a tidecalling pro.”

Marin rolled her eyes. “Don’t fill her head with nonsense, Kael.”

Sophie managed a small smile, but her mind raced. The cloaked woman, the shades, her notebook—none of it made senseJoan of Arc sense. She opened her notebook, tracing the strange new page. The words glowed brighter, and a faint hum filled the air.

Elara began Sophie’s training, teaching her to summon tides by focusing on her mark. Sophie’s first attempts were weak, but when she thought of her stories—brave heroes, shining seas—her tides grew stronger. Kael cheered, and even Marin nodded approvingly. Lumi whispered tips, its glow warming Sophie’s heart.

But that night, as Sophie practiced alone, the lagoon darkened. Shades surged from the water, and a chilling laugh echoed—the cloaked woman’s voice. “You can’t hide, Tidecaller,” she taunted. Sophie’s mark burned, and her notebook flew open, its pages flipping wildly. A new story appeared, describing a tide that could break the curse—but it required a sacrifice. As shades attacked Moonhaven, Sophie realized the cloaked woman was closer than they thought.

Cliffhanger: What sacrifice does the notebook demand, and is the cloaked woman already among them?

Chapter 2: The Moonhaven’s Light

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