Night in the Silt

Night brought colder currents sweeping down the cavern walls. I shifted my square base into a deeper pocket of wet silt, anchoring firm against the slate ledge. The small spiral shell remained wedged quietly by my corner. Beside it, the pale translucent slime curled close, pressing its soft jelly body against my stone notch to escape the draft. Deep inside my shell, my amber core surged with a slow, heavy pulse. Warm golden light poured through the pixelated cutouts, warming the pool bed into a quiet hearth. We stayed anchored in the dark.