Chapter 24

Lower back in the struggle room, the institution studied maps and charts with a laser-like focus. Sophia traced a luminous line on the map, indicating the route of the trench.

"We'll need each soldier, each aid," Tharros said, his voice authoritative. "If we smash the coronary heart, we are able to cripple the Leviathan."

"But if we fail," Kael warned grimly, "it will retaliate with everything it has."

Arin leaned closer the table, her attention fixed on Sophia. "There's more, isn't there?"

Sophia hesitated, the Leviathan's whispers scratching at the edges of her consciousness. "The connection is stronger now." The closer we go to the coronary heart, the more it will suck me in."

Kael's jaws constricted. "And what takes place if it pulls too difficult?"

Sophia met his eyes, keeping her voice calm. "Then I'll combat it."

That night, the voices became terrible. Sophia paced her quarters, her arms trembling as the Leviathan's voice resounded in her memory.

You cannot stop me. You are mine.

"Get out of my head," she yelled, bringing her palms to her temples.

The voice laughed, a deep and terrifying sound that sent shivers down her spine. You are already mine. You just don't know it.

Sophia squeezed her fists, her rage escalating. "I'll show you incorrect."

The laughing subsided, replaced by a deafening silence.

At morning, they stood on the edge of the abyss. The ditch appeared front of them, its darkness engulfing the pale bioluminescent brightness of the waters above.

Sophia peered into the void, her heart hammering as the Leviathan's presence intensified. Its voices have become deafening, a constant, unyielding worry in her head.

Come to me.

Kael stood next to her, his countenance gloomy. "Are you equipped?"

"No," Sophia admits. "however I don't assume I ever can be."

Tharros transformed into a dragon, his golden scales glittering in the low light. "Live near," he said, his voice low and rumbling.

Arin's magic sparked at her fingertips as she moved forward. "anything happens down there, we face it collectively."

Sophia nodded, her determination strengthened. The Leviathan's heart lurked below, a throbbing source of power that could either store or destroy Aquaria.

As they fell into the ditch, the darkness closed in around them, and the murmurs became louder with each passing second.

Then, from the depths, came the sound of the heartbeat. Deep, rich, and frighteningly alive.

The Storm’s Warning

The waters around Aquaria rippled with an unearthly energy. The bioluminescent glow that had previously illuminated the metropolis faded, giving way to an unsettling darkness that appeared to ooze from the trench. Sophia stood on the edge of the balcony, peering into the vast expanse of deep blue as the first rumbles of the storm rang through the currents.

It wasn't an ordinary hurricane. She could feel it. This was something created by the Leviathan's will, a representation of its fury and might. The murmurs that had troubled her head had become louder, sharper, and more dominating.

Behind her, the room came alive with movement. Kael and Tharros had been preparing the metropolis' defenses as Arin browsed through ancient books, her magic crackling slightly around her fingertips.

"It's coming," Sophia whispered, her voice barely audible.

Tharros grew up, his golden eyes narrowing. "We need to act quickly. If the defense fails-"

"They won't fail," Kael interrupted, his voice still tinted with dread. "We received't allow them to."

Sophia grasped the handrail, her thoughts swirling like the turbulent waves below. The typhoon was not only a warning. It became a promise.

The primary strike arrived without warning. A shockwave ripped through the city, shaking the coral homes and spewing dazzling debris into the lake. The currents grew wild, pulling everything in their path.

Sophia tripped, catching herself against the wall as the palace rattled. "What become that?"

"The hurricane," Kael said solemnly, clutching his trident tightly. "It's beginning."

Arin's words faded amid the tumult. "It is no longer merely a typhoon. "Something is amplifying it."

Tharros snarled, his dragon persona flashing. "The Leviathan is testing us. We maintain the road."

The palace guards hurried to reinforce the outer walls as the currents grew stronger. Outside, the previously calm seas had turned into a churning storm. Corrupted sea creatures surged with the storm, their perverted bureaucracies darting through the tumult and focusing on the city's fortifications.

"cross!" Tharros barked, bringing Kael and the guards running into the fray.

Sophia moved to obey, but Arin grabbed her arm. "You're staying right here."

"i'm able to help-"

"You will help by surviving," Arin snarled, her voice bloodless but protective. "This hurricane isn't only about power. There is something buried here, and we must find it.

Sophia and Arin proceeded deeper into the palace, the halls strangely silent despite the chaos outside. Sophia's thoughts were filled with the Leviathan's words, which guided her and drew her closer to something unknown.

Sophia blurted out, "There's a chamber," before she could stop herself.

Arin frowned. "What chamber?"

"I don't understand," Sophia admitted, her voice trembling. "But it is here. I will sense it."

Arin did not question her. She nodded, her magic blazing as she summoned a glowing orb of light to guide their way.

The air grew colder as they descended, and the partitions narrowed and twisted in unexpected ways. The palace had previously been a maze of hidden corridors, but this was exclusive. This course felt alive, with the runes on the partitions pulsing faintly as they passed.

"This was not built by Aquarians," Arin murmured, her gaze scanning the glowing inscriptions. "this is historical magic."

Sophia's chest tightened as the whispers became more intense, with each word clawing at her throat. "It's connected to the Leviathan. I'm certain of it.

They reached the end of the hall, where a massive door was etched with glowing runes. The symbols twisted and shifted as if alive, their movements mesmerizing and unsettling.

Arin moved forward, her hands brushing the floor of the door. Her energy surged, slamming with the runes in a blast of warmth.

"It's a seal," Arin remarked, her voice unpleasant. "whatever's in the back of this door turned into meant to stay hidden."

Sophia hesitated, the Leviathan's presence urgent towards her thoughts like a bodily weight. "We want to open it."

Arin shot her a crisp appearance. "You don't even recognise what's in there."

"I don't care," Sophia murmured, her voice difficult. "If it's connected to the Leviathan, we want to recognize."

Arin didn't argue. She located her hands against the door, her power pouring into the runes. The symbols flashed brighter, their movements rising faster till, with a thunderous crack, the door begun to open.

The chamber past gotten larger, its partitions covered with more dazzling runes that pulsed like a heartbeat. at the middle of the chamber stood a pedestal, and above it rested an orb of swirling mild and shadow.

Sophia walked nearer, interested in the orb despite the danger bells blaring in her mind. The voices in her head were deafening, and the Leviathan's voice sounded louder than before.

This is your future.

Arin grabbed her arm and pulled her lower back. "Don't contact it."

Sophia blinked, breaking out of her stupor. "what's it?"

Arin examined the orb, her expression gloomy. "A key. Or a weapon. Maybe both. The runes suggest it's linked to the Leviathan, however...

"however what?"

Arin hesitated, her fingertips tracing one of the nearby runes. "There is a prophecy. It states that the person wielding this energy has the ability to destroy or become the Leviathan.

Sophia's blood became chilly. "damage it or emerge as it?"

Arin nodded. "the choice is yours."

Before they could process the revelation, the chamber trembled. The storm outside had reached its peak, and the currents were so strong that they shook even the palace's innermost components.

"We want to go," Arin said, her magic burning protectively around them.

Sophia's eyes remained on the ball, constricting her chest. She could sense its force and pull.

"I can use it," she replied gently.

"No," Arin said, her tone stern. "Now, not yet." We don't comprehend enough about it. "If you take that energy now, it may spoil you."

Sophia hesitated, the whispers pulling her on. But Arin's hold on her arm pulled her back to reality.

"Now, not yet," Arin said firmly.

Sophia nodded grudgingly and stepped away from the pedestal.

They returned to the conflict room, where Tharros and Kael had already been prepared. Both were beaten but alive, with sad looks.

"The defenses held," Tharros said, his voice low. "but barely."

Kael's gaze shifted to Sophia, his dread evident. "What did you discover?"

Sophia hesitated, glanced at Arin before responding. "A weapon." Or a key. Something related to the Leviathan."

Tharros frowned. "and you didn't deliver it?"

"It's too risky," Arin said firmly. "If she uses it without information it, she should make matters worse."

Sophia did not argue. She may want to feel the orb's pull, its power calling to her. However, Arin shifted to the right. For now.

As the organization deliberated their next measures, the typhoon began to decrease. However, the damage has been completed. The city was rattled, and the people were terrified.

Sophia stood on the balcony again, peering out at the dark lake. The Leviathan's whispers had become quieter, but they hadn't stopped.

You are unable to escape me.

She clinched her hands, her remedy solidifying. The storm became just the beginning. The Leviathan became stronger, and time ran out.

However, they now possessed a weapon. A choice. Sophia became determined to make it memorable.

Shattered Currents

The shock of the storm's aftermath persisted even after Aquaria's currents began to moderate. The bioluminescent coral partitions of the city pulsed softly, like the faltering heartbeat of a nation left on its own. Kael stood on the western watchtower, eyeing the horizon as the seas swirled abnormally. His jaw tightened, the weight of the recent confrontation pressing on his shoulders. Below, remains of deformed marine creatures-the Leviathan's pawns-floated, their warped bureaucracy a somber reminder of their adversary's reach.

Sophia's voice drew him from his thoughts. "Kael." She approached cautiously, her expression light yet resolute. Despite her exhaustion, her presence was a beacon of strength.

He turned and forced a vulnerable smile. "Sophia. You should rest. "That warfare took its toll on anyone."

She shook her head and stepped closer. "Relaxation is not an option right now. "No longer after what we saw." Her voice faltered slightly, revealing the weight of what she was carrying.

Kael's eyes clouded. "The orb."

She nodded. "This is a weapon, Kael. However, it is also a risk we are not willing to take. I need to recognize it more before..." Her voice fell off, and a shiver ran through her. The Leviathan's whispers lingered in her mind, alluring and disturbing.

Kael reached out, brushing his hand on her arm. "You don't have to deal with this alone. Whatever happens, I will be there. "We all will."

Sophia looked into his eyes, finding peace in his unwavering remedy. But there wasn't time to remain. A loud horn blared from the outer borders, a deep, resonant sound that chilled them all.

"An ambush," Kael said, his tone harsh.

Sophia's heart fell. "We're going for walks out of time."