Chapter 25

Aquaria's outside lands provided a stark contrast to the lively city. The sea became chillier and darker, as if the Leviathan's presence had crept into every present day. Kael led the charge, his trident blazing in the dark light. Behind him, a group of warriors followed, their faces bleak but resolute.

Sophia and Arin watched the organization, the ocean witch's magic crackling slightly about her. Sophia's fingertips itched with anxiety as the Leviathan's whispers became louder the closer they got.

The attack arrived quickly. Shadows burst from the pits, and twisted sea creatures swarmed in coordinated waves. Kael yelled directions, his voice cutting through the confusion. "Preserve the road!" "Protect the healers!"

Sophia tried to concentrate, her hydrokinesis weakening under the strain. Arin's magic ignited, creating protective restrictions that shone like glass. "They're looking into us," Arin said, her tone harsh. "This is not a complete attack. They're looking for flaws."

Sophia tightened her fists, rage seething inside of her. "And we're giving them exactly what they want."

Kael's voice broke through. "Awareness, Sophia." We won't spend money on distractions."

However, even as he spoke, the road began to falter. A gigantic creature-a merger of corrupted shark and eel-broke through, its jaws snapping perilously close to the front line. Kael raced forward, his trident a blur as he thrust it into the beast's maw. The beast writhed, its death struggles dispersing nearby troops.

Sophia's chest clenched as she witnessed Kael struggle. Every flow became deliberate and specific, but she could see the stress in his movements. They had been losing ground.

The argument raged for what seemed like hours. By the time the remaining beast collapsed, the seas were heavy with fight debris. Sophia's limbs felt heavy, and her power was drained. Kael stood among the wreckage, his armor tattered but his stare blazing.

"We need to regroup," he said, his voice steady but laced with tiredness. "This has become a distraction. "The actual assault is approaching."

Sophia approached him, heartbroken at the sight of his injuries. "Kael..."

He dismissed her difficulties. "I am first-class. "We need to be aware of what comes next."

Before she could argue, a fresh figure appeared from the shadows. A parent in dark scales, moving fluidly and deliberately. The soldiers readied their weapons, but Kael held up a hand, his gaze hardening.

"Wait."

The parent moved closer, exposing a face adorned with intricate marks. "I am available in peace," they declared, their voice rich and resonant. "I deliver facts that might turn the tide."

Sophia improved gradually. "who're you?"

The determine tilted their head. "Kyras from the Shark Clans. "A best friend, if you'll have me."

Kael's expression hardened. "The Shark Clans were never allies. "Why now?"

Kyras' stare met him unwaveringly. "Because the Leviathan threatens everyone. It wants to isolate Aquaria and weaken you before striking. But its arrogance may be its doom."

Sophia's pulse quickened. "What do you imply?"

Kyras hesitated, his gaze flickering to the battlefield. "There is a hidden passage, a weak point in the Leviathan's defenses. However, if you intend to take advantage of it, you must act quickly. "The longer you wait, the stronger it becomes."

Kael's jaws constricted. "And why need to we trust you?"

Kyras extended his arms, his expression unreadable. "Because if you don't, Aquaria will collapse. "And so will my humans."

The anxiety was palpable in the lower back of the palace. Tharros walked around the battle room, his golden eyes blazing. "You introduced a Shark extended family warrior into our city?"

Kael stood on the floor, his voice steady. "He's giving us a chance to strike lower back. "We can't afford to ignore it."

Tharros muttered deep in his throat, but Sophia advanced before he could dispute any further. "He's right. If Kyras is speaking the truth, this might be the prospect we've been anticipating. however we need to act now."

Tharros's stare softened barely as it rested on her, yet his tone stayed company. "And if it's a lure?"

"Then we cope with it," Arin interjected, her voice frigid although adamant. "We're jogging out of alternatives, Tharros. The Leviathan's already interior Sophia's thoughts. we can't watch for it to strike first."

Tharros's fists tensed, nevertheless he agreed unwillingly. "first-class. however I'm main the challenge."

Kael's eyes flared with hostility, but Sophia moved among them, her voice quiet however commanding. "We try this collectively. anybody."

The plan transformed into set. They would infiltrate the Leviathan's outer defenses via the hidden route under Kyras' guidance. It became volatile, but it became a delightful shot. Sophia felt a shiver down her spine as the party prepared to leave. The Leviathan's murmurs had been faint but insistent.

You may not stop me. You certainly couldn't.

She shrugged off the voice and concentrated on the journey ahead. However, as they went deeper, the Leviathan's presence became increasingly oppressive, threatening to destroy her resolve.

Kael swam beside her, brushing his hand across hers momentarily. It became a little gesture, but it grounded her, reminding her of the power they shared.

As they approached the entrance to the passage, Kyras paused, his look somber. "After this point, there is no turning lower back." "Are you ready?"

Sophia examined her partners-Kael, Tharros, and Arin. Everyone carried his own loads and personal worries. They were more powerful united, though.

"We're ready," she said, her voice steady.

Kyras nodded and led the way, but the darkness swallowed them up completely. The path was tiny and perilous, the walls covered in antique runes that appeared to pulse with terrible force.

Sophia's heart raced as the voices became louder, more urgent. After that, just as they approached the end of the passage, a loud noise broke the calm.

The Leviathan's presence surged, and its voice echoed across the currents.

Welcome to my section.

Sophia's breath hitched as the darkness ahead

came alive, casting a massive shadow towards them. The conflict was not over. It became a simple start.

The Leviathan’s Eyes

The blackness seemed to pulsate about them, like a living, breathing organism, making every shadow a hazard. Sophia's pulse hammered as the huge shape of the Leviathan approached, its presence an uncomfortable weight pressing against her chest. Kael tightened his grasp on his trident, his gaze drawn to Kyras for any signs of treason. Tharros' dragon aura sparked brightly under the water, while Arin's magic shimmered at her fingertips, ready to strike.

But the Leviathan did not attack. Instead, it watched, its historical and knowledgeable gaze cutting through the currents. Sophia's mental whispers became louder and more persistent, as if the monster was speaking to her immediately.

You cannot stop what is coming.

Sophia's vision dimmed, and a wave of nausea swept over her. She staggered, grasping Kael's arm for support. His hand steadied her, and his voice was piercing. "Sophia, stay with me."

Kyras' voice grew quieter as he became anxious. "It's testing us out. Do not react.

Tharros hissed lowly, his golden eyes flashing. "If it's a fight it wishes, I'll provide it one."

"No!" Sophia's voice sounded strained yet forceful. She straightened, meeting the Leviathan's gaze despite the anxiety gnawing at her insides. "That is what it desires. It's attempting to provoke us.

The Leviathan's bloodless, mocking laughter resonated in her head. Then, as quickly as it had appeared, the huge shadow vanished into the depths. The currents grew, but the tension remained.

Arin inhaled softly, her magic faded. "What become that?"

Sophia's voice became silent. "Be cautious. "And a venture."

Sophia walked the battle chamber in the palace's lowest level, her thoughts a jumble. The encounter had left her rattled, but it had also given her insight. The Leviathan was not merely a mindless force of destruction. It moved into calculating and planning. And it had a plan.

"The corrupted creatures," she said at immediately, breaking the silence. "They are more than just squaddies. "They are scouts."

Kael frowned and leaned on the desk. "Scouts?"

Sophia nodded as her thoughts raced. "Consider it." They are continually one step ahead of us, probing our defenses. They no longer act on impulse. "They are being managed."

Tharros crossed his hands, his face suspicious. "and how precisely are they being managed?"

Sophia hesitated, piecing together the shards of information in her mind. "Through their eyes." The glittering styles, the way they flow-it's as if they're all linked to something. "Or a person."

Arin's eyes narrowed. "The Leviathan."

Sophia nodded. "It is utilizing them to observe us and investigate our flaws. If we can sever that link immediately, we will most likely be able to buy ourselves some time.

Kyras' voice softened but remained company. "and how do you propose we do this?"

Sophia's gaze tightened. "We combat science with magic."

Sophia's lab, which she had set up in the palace's upper levels, was a typical blend of history and magic. Crystalline formations pulsed with magical energy in sync with the hum of human devices. She worked feverishly, reading the dazzling patterns she'd discovered on the corrupted creatures. Arin stood behind her, her magic enhancing the facts as they sought a solution.

"If we destroy the sign," Sophia exclaimed, her voice tinted with excitement, "it will disorient them. "Like slicing a puppet's strings."

Arin scowled, her mistrust clear. "Disorienting them is a component. But what about ending the relationship completely? That is a special undertaking."

"We don't want to sever it permanently," Sophia replied. "just long enough to show the tide in our want."

Kael entered the lab, his presence a calming influence. "How lengthy?"

Sophia looked at him, her tiredness evident. "Some hours, if we're lucky. But I need more time to check the notion."

"We don't have time," Tharros replied, entering the room. His golden gaze hooked on Sophia. "The Leviathan isn't going to watch for us to determine this out."

"Then we make time," Sophia stated firmly. "that is our first-rate danger to level the playing discipline."

The subsequent onslaught arrived earlier than expected. The warning sounded out across the city, accompanied by a haunting song that sent chills down the spines of every Aquarian. Sophia and her partners dashed to the outer fortifications, the seas rife with mayhem.

Twisted creatures swarmed, their luminous eyes a constant reminder of the Leviathan's vastness. Sophia's improvised contraption, a combination of magic and science, became tied to her wrist. It pulsed softly, ready to be triggered.

"Are you sure this can paintings?" Kael inquired, his voice low and calm.

Sophia returned his look, determination shining in her eyes. "No. but we don't have a preference."

Tharros' dragon air of stealth erupted as he seized his sector on the front lines. "Then permit's supply them hell."

The war became a whirl of movement and noise. Sophia stayed near Arin, with the sea witch's magic establishing a protective barrier around them. As the aliens approached, Sophia triggered the tool.

A shockwave swept over the water, unseen yet effective. The creatures' movements slowed, and their luminous eyes faded as the connection to the Leviathan weakened. For a brief while, the battlefield became strangely silent.

"It's running," Arin announced, her voice filled with astonishment.

However, the reprieve proved to be temporary. Sophia felt the Leviathan's presence and heard its speech as a roar.

You realize you can defy me?

Sophia's legs buckled as the murmurs turned into a scream, but she forced herself to remain standing. "We want to keep the road!" she said, her voice cutting through the commotion.

Kael and Tharros fought with increased zeal, their movements a deadly tango. Kyras demonstrated his dedication with targeted and uncompromising moves. Aquaria's warriors banded together to stem the flow of corruption.

However, the Leviathan was not completed. The waves darkened as its shadow loomed again. Sophia's technology began to weaken, the glow fading as the pressure became too intense.

"It's overloading!" Arin shouted.

"We're out of time," Kael replied, his tone bleak.

Sophia's thoughts raced. They couldn't hold out much longer. The Leviathan's effect became too powerful. Then an idea struck her: daring and risky, but their best hazard.

"I'm going to increase the signal," she said, using her fingers to adjust the device.

"That might kill you," Tharros warned, his voice stern.

"If I don't, we'll all die," Sophia said, her tone leaving no room for debate.

Before any of us could stop her, she reactivated the gadget, pouring her own electricity into it. The accompanying shockwave turned into a brilliant explosion of light, sending the monsters reeling. The connection to the Leviathan broke, and for the first time, the battlefield was silent.

Sophia fainted, her eyesight blurring as tiredness overwhelmed her. The last thing she heard was Kael's desperate voice.

"Sophia, stay with me!"

When Sophia woke up, the ocean was calm. The conflict was over, but the Leviathan's shadow remained in her mind. She looked around and saw Kael, Tharros, Arin, and Kyras near her. Their features were marked with worry and yearning.

"We sold ourselves time," Kael replied softly. "but it's no longer over."