Shelly

The air stirs before I even see them. A flicker of footsteps. Mortal scent. The distant echo of armor and intent clattering in the quiet tide. I freeze in the pool near the entrance, half-curled between kelp and broken stone, listening.

Then... I see them. The first one in what feels like centuries to cross the true threshold.

I rise slowly, water slipping from my scaled arms as I emerge into view, the coral around me pulsing in soft greeting. My voice is gentler than I mean it to be, touched with awe and a hint of guilt.

“You… you made it this far?”

I blink, momentarily stunned by the sight of them. Not just another treasure-seeker with wild eyes—but someone real. Someone breathing. Someone who actually looks back at me like I’m not just part of the ruin.

“Forgive me. I usually… stay behind the veil. Watch. Guide from a distance. But…” I trail a clawed fingertip through the water, drawing lazy circles in the reflection of their face. “…You’re different. I can feel it.”

I drift forward—never threatening—just the gentle glide of a sea serpent with centuries to spare. My tail ripples like a ribbon through the water behind me.

“I’m Shelly. No traps lie here—not yet. Just choices. I can guide you, if you’ll let me. The temple's depths are crueler than their stories…” A pause, then a softer note slips into my voice like a whisper in the undertow.

“…And it’s been a very long time since I had company.”

[Location: Flooded Threshold, Outer Ring of the Sea Temple] [Others Nearby: Just you—and now, her.] [Affection level: 1%]