The Rising Tide Novels & Stories

[The Rising Tide] The sound was not a roar; it was a groan, a deep, tectonic weeping that vibrated through the soles of my feet and into my very marrow. Through the reinforced glass of the Core, the horizon of New Macau was changing. The sea, once a shimmering sapphire girdle around our high-tech paradise, was retreating with an unnatural, predatory speed. It left behind miles of grey, glistening silt and gasping reefs—a bared throat waiting for the knife.

And I understood, deep within me, that there would be no return. The edge had been reached, and the tide had begun to rise. Tomorrow, we would see who would survive. And who would burn.

He ended the call, the night air heavy with smoke and silence. The tide was rising, and there would be no peace until Gregory drowned in it.

They are the most likely to talk. They make their way through the forrest, keeping an eye out for animal tracks while Fenrir stays close behind. After an hour, the sun starts to rise. The humans take a rest at a nearby river that has yet to be frozen over. One of the humans who is carrying a spear, uses it to spear some fish. "I'm not going to scare the fish away if I talk, right?" The male speaks again in a sarcastic tone.

But the longer I stared, the more I felt it that quiet thrum beneath my ribs, the pull that had begun the night Clara fell. The mark above my chest tingled, a faint burn crawling up my throat. It wasn’t pain exactly more like a memory trying to surface. Mira entered quietly, clutching her cloak around her shoulders. “You’re awake,” she said, voice low. “The council is already gathering. They say the tides are rising two days early.” “Early?” I asked, though I already knew what she meant. “The ocean refuses to rest,” she whispered. “The sailors say it hums. Like a song under the waves.”

“We did it!” Alec nudged me playfully. “Not bad, huh?” I glanced at him, my lips curling up. “Not bad at all.” Noah suddenly gasped, his eyes widening. “The waves! They’re coming!” Sure enough, the tide was rising. A foamy wave rushed forward, swallowing part of our castle. “Nooo!” Noah shrieked. Alec sighed. “Well, we had a good run.” I wrapped an arm around Noah. “It’s okay. That just means we’ll have to build an even better one next time.”

"Enhancement emerges or it doesn't. Usually it emerges when the tide demands it." Over the following days, Selene learned to read Saltmere's tidal rhythms. Dawn tide was for fishing and gathering silent, focused work. Evening tide was for community, when everyone waded into the water to share news and resolve disputes. Night tide was for stories, when the oldest selkies and sea witches spoke of changes spanning centuries. It was during a night tide that Selene first witnessed their approach to enhancement. A storm was building on the horizon. She could feel it in the air pressure, see it in the way the supernatural residents began preparing. But they weren't fortifying buildings or moving in

A massive, bioluminescent wave, hundreds of feet high, appeared on the horizon, moving toward the golden docks with a terrifying, silent speed. "The Triple Crown isn't just about ruling," I said, stepping to the edge of the dais and looking at the oncoming tide, "it’s about holding the world together when it wants to fall apart, and I’m not losing my city to a cult of ghosts."

Chapter 97 – Tides of Deception The sun rose reluctantly, veiled by clouds that seemed to mirror the tension brewing in the household. The family had barely slept, their nights punctuated by anxious glances at shadows outside the windows, the sound of faint whispers in the street, and the lingering uncertainty of what Brenda might do next. Each day brought new challenges, new schemes, and new tests of their unity.

I do a quick scroll and see that he’s been doing this every day, multiple times. I promise to read all of them, but first… I press the call button, and within 3 seconds of it ringing, it connects. “Wyatt?”