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Under a noon sun, the harbor shimmers like hammered glass as Jacques slides off the pier, leaving Enzo’s laughter behind; beneath, the blue swallows sound, light thinning into columns where a dolphin arcs close and the rope hums faintly against his palm; he pauses at depth, touching the marker like a quiet vow, eyes drawn to the darker fold below, then kicks for the surface, bursting into heat and noise--Enzo’s grin, a towel, the world rushing back--while the sea, flat and patient, seems to promise a deeper silence waiting just beyond the next breath. --sref XXXXXXXXX