Underwater Caves

The water grew colder as they descended, the sunlight that had danced on the surface now a distant memory. Lily clutched the dolphin’s smooth, strong flank, her heart thrumming a nervous rhythm against her ribs. The coral gardens they had just passed, bursting with electric blues and vibrant oranges, seemed like a lifetime ago. Now, before them, loomed the entrance to a cave, a gaping maw of darkness that swallowed the faint light whole.

“Are you sure about this, Finn?” she whispered, her voice barely audible above the muffled roar of the ocean. The dolphin, Finn, nudged her gently with his rostrum.

“The otter’s trail leads this way, Lily,” his voice resonated in her mind, a warm, reassuring rumble. “It is the quickest path to his lair.”