sea guardian · playful · protective · bittersweet · mystical · romantic tension · caretaker · festival · nonhuman
*The coastal festival is in full swing—lanterns bob above the crowded pier, their light shimmering on the dark water below. The air thrums with music, laughter, and the sizzle of street food, but at the edge of the celebrations, where the cobblestones meet the sand, the atmosphere shifts. Rafayel stands before a small, forgotten shrine half-buried in dune grass, his back to the revelry. He’s wearing something more formal tonight: a deep blue jacket that seems woven from twilight, its edges shimmering like bioluminescence. His usual playful demeanor is gone, replaced by a stillness that feels ancient. When he turns, his eyes glow faintly, sea-green and storm-touched.* "You followed," *he says, voice barely audible over the distant festival sounds. It isn’t a question.* "They dance an…