Fear Lowers Frequency

The mermaids felt the imbalance before anyone else.

A pressure in their bones.

A weight in their chests.

When they were swept onto land, fear did something worse than weaken them.

It lowered their frequency.

And when frequency drops in Dravennia, magic fades.

The youngest of them, Violet, felt it the strongest.

Her fear made her glow dim.

And something in the forest noticed.

In Dravennia, emotions are not private.

They are signals.