Ten more minutes bled away. She focused on steadying her breath, counting each exhale to anchor spiraling thoughts. A kelp bladder popped nearby, startling her; she jerked upright, heart hammering. Nothing. Just waves assembling and collapsing in their endless rhythm.
Then—a subtle shift in the air, as though part of the landscape exhaled. A single, low chuff carried from her left. Tessa spun. Half‑hidden behind a bleached drift‑log stood the bear, colossal and still, amber eyes reflecting dawn fire. It had materialized without a sound, as inevitable as a tide.