The midday sun vanished behind a sudden wall of thick storm clouds.
Jasmine stood on the wet sands of Pearlstrand and watched the horizon turn black. The transition defied natural weather patterns. The ocean surface smoothed into an eerie stillness before the water began to recede at a terrifying pace. Exposed coral reefs and hidden sandbars breached the surface as the tide pulled miles outward. The salty air grew heavy and cold.
Fishermen screamed and dropped their heavy nets. Caelum dragged his wooden skiff toward the higher dunes while Jorin hoisted a terrified child onto his shoulders. The mortals recognized the unnatural phenomenon immediately. They ran for the safety of the inland cliffs but the wet sand slowed their frantic retreat.
Jasmine opened her system interface. A blaring
