Sophie’s lungs burned as Kael pulled her from the lagoon, the shadowy serpent’s roar shaking Moonhaven. Her notebook, soaked but glowing, clutched tightly in her hand, showed a mysterious figure in a moonlit wave. The tidewatcher she’d seen slipping away haunted her thoughts—was it betrayal? But the serpent’s glowing eyes demanded her focus. Marin’s waves were weakening, and Elara’s shouts rallied the tidewatchers. Sophie’s mark pulsed, urging her to act.

“Sophie, you okay?” Kael’s voice was soft, his teal eyes searching hers. Water dripped from his hair, and his scales shimmered under the moon. He held her close, his warmth cutting through the chill.

She nodded, shivering. “I… think so. That serpent—it’s huge.”

Lumi zipped beside her, its glow flickering. “The figure in your story, Sophie. It’s key. Weave the tide!”

Sophie glanced at the notebook. The figure wasn’t her, but someone familiar. Her stories back home never had traitors or monsters, but they had heroes who faced the impossible. She traced her mark, summoning a silver wave, but the serpent swatted it away, its tail crashing toward them.

Kael yanked her behind a coral spire. “You’re not ready for that thing. We need to get to the Moonspire—it’s the heart of Moonhaven’s power.”

Marin joined them, her armor scratched. “The spire’s light can weaken the serpent. Sophie, your tide can amplify it.”

They ran, dodging shades as tidewatchers fought. Sophie’s eyes caught the suspicious tidewatcher again, vanishing into a hut. Her stomach twisted, but Kael’s hand on hers grounded her. “Stay with me, storyteller,” he said, his grin teasing but warm.

The Moonspire loomed—a tower of pearl and coral, glowing with lunar light. Inside, a crystal pulsed like a heartbeat. Sophie’s mark burned hotter, and her notebook opened on its own, the figure’s image clearer—a silhouette with Kael’s playful stance. Her heart skipped. Was he the key?

Elara met them, her face grim. “Sophie, channel your tide into the crystal. It’ll banish the serpent—for now.”

Sophie hesitated. Her tides were weak, and the traitor’s shadow loomed. But Kael squeezed her hand. “You’ve got this. I believe in you.”

His words lit something in her. She wasn’t just a shy clerk—she was a Tidecaller. She pressed her mark to the crystal, picturing her stories’ brave seas. A radiant tide surged, and the spire’s light flared, driving the serpent back into the lagoon. The shades vanished, and Moonhaven cheered.

But Sophie’s legs buckled. Kael caught her, his arms strong. “Easy, hero,” he murmured, his breath warm against her ear. The closeness sent a shiver through her, not from the cold.

That night, Moonhaven was quiet, but Sophie couldn’t sleep. The traitor, the serpent, her notebook’s cryptic words—The Tidecaller’s heart wakes the moon—swirled in her mind. She slipped out to the lagoon, where the water glowed softly. Kael found her, his scales catching the moonlight.

“Couldn’t sleep either?” he asked, sitting beside her. His shoulder brushed hers, and her pulse quickened.

“Yeah,” she said, hugging her notebook. “I’m scared, Kael. I’m not a hero. And that tidewatcher… I think they’re working with the sorceress.”

Kael’s eyes softened. “You’re braver than you think, Sophie. You faced that serpent. And me? I’m a mer-prince who’s terrible at court stuff. But with you, I feel like I could do anything.”

Her cheeks warmed. “You’re not terrible. You’re… kind of amazing.”

He grinned, leaning closer. “Oh? Tell me more, storyteller.”

The air felt charged, like before a tide. Sophie’s heart raced as Kael’s hand brushed her cheek, his touch gentle but electric. “Sophie,” he whispered, “you make this world brighter.”

She leaned in, their lips meeting in a soft, hesitant kiss. It deepened, hungry and warm, and Sophie’s fears melted. Kael’s hands slid to her waist, pulling her closer, and she felt the heat of his skin through her damp hoodie. The moonlight wrapped them, and for a moment, the curse didn’t exist.

They pulled apart, breathless. Kael’s grin was shy now. “Been wanting to do that since I saw you.”

Sophie laughed, her heart full. But a rustle snapped her back. The tidewatcher—she saw them, fleeing toward the cliffs. Her notebook glowed, revealing a new page: a wave crashing over a traitor’s mask. The sorceress’s laugh echoed faintly, and Sophie realized the traitor was closer than ever.

Cliffhanger: Who is the traitor tidewatcher, and what does the sorceress’s laugh mean for Sophie and Kael’s newfound bond?

Chapter 4: Tides of the Heart

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