Chapter 4

Depths of Destiny

The chilly water squeezed against Sophia's skin like a thousand needles as the hunter closed in. Its smooth, predatory shape glided with ease, defying the turmoil around her. She couldn't breathe, not because of the water-Tharros had shown her how-but because of the primitive horror that gripped her chest.

"Run!" Tharros' voice echoed in her head like a tidal wave.

Her body refused to respond. The hunter's jagged maw opened, giving off an eerie bioluminescence. Every instinct urged her to go, but she was paralyzed by the crushing reality of her impending destiny.

A sharp current tore through the water as Tharros drove himself towards her, his golden eyes blazing with rage. Time seemed to slow. Sophia saw the exact moment he stepped between her and the hunter, his form sparking in a corona of raw lightning. The hunter struck, but Tharros blocked its enormous jaws with his bare arms. The force of the effect resonated across the sea, knocking Sophia back.

"stay behind me!" Tharros screamed, his voice unwavering.

Sophia gritted her teeth and swam closer, despite the panic in her chest. She would not cower. Not anymore. Not now, when so much is at risk. Tharros struggled with the beast, his movements a symphony of electricity and accuracy, but he couldn't always keep them at bay. There were extra shadows darting through the darkness, circling like wolves encircling prey.

Sophia's heart raced as she forced herself to imagine. If she remained idle, they would both be overwhelmed. The water around her hummed with an unknown energy that she instinctively knew had transformed into hers. Worry no longer gripped her; it had transformed into electricity.

"Allow me to help!" she shouted, her voice echoing over the sea.

"No!" Tharros' response was sharp, slashing through the conflict like a sword. "You're now not equipped."

"strive me!" Sophia aimed lower back.

Before he could respond, a second hunter lunged toward them. Sophia pushed her hand forward on impulse, and the water rippled in response. A wave of pressure erupted from her palm, meeting with the hunter and propelling it backward into the abyss.

Tharros hesitated for a chopped up second, his golden eyes fixed on hers. "you haven't any idea what you simply did, do you?"

"No longer, honestly," Sophia acknowledged, her voice shaking despite her success.

"Then research quickly," he said, his attention returning to the approaching hunters.

Sophia's thoughts raced. She should sense it now: the sea is bowing to her will. It was not just water; it was alive and full of energy. She reached out with her thoughts, wanting them to comply. The currents around her responded, swirling in a vortex, pushing the hunters further away.

"Correct," Tharros remarked, his tone indicating approbation. "Now maintain them there."

She nodded, intent on maintaining the barrier as Tharros released his full strength. He moved with passion, his body blurring as he ripped through the attackers with relentless precision, leaving no doubt that he had transformed into their king. The water surrounding them hummed with power, and Tharros' bioluminescent glow illuminated the dark depths.

For a minute, it appeared that they had the upper hand. However, the hunters did not retreat. Instead, they regrouped, making their activities more organized and strategic. Sophia's temporary barrier began to weaken under the pressure.

"We can't keep this up," she continued, worry rising in her voice.

Tharros gritted his enamel. "maintain on just a little longer."

A sharp cry pierced the water, and Sophia turned to see one of the hunters breaking through. Its claws slashed at her, and she or he braced for impact. However, before it could reach her, a flash of silver raced through the water, suspending the creature and sending it spiraling away.

Sophia blinked, attempting to process what had just occurred. Then she noticed him.

Kael.

His lithe, muscular form moved with lethal ease, dispatching the hunter with a shimmering light spear. His eyes, a piercing blue, fastened on hers for a brief while, filled with both remedy and determination.

"You're past due," Tharros muttered, with a note of gratitude in his tone.

Kael grinned, his demeanor annoyingly confident. "You gave the impression of you may use the help."

The two men settled into a groove, battling side by side with ease that suggested years of acquaintance. Kael's weapon flashed through the water, each attack unique and destructive, while Tharros' raw lightning annihilated their adversaries. Sophia focused on maintaining the barrier, her confidence building as she realized how much she could influence the currents.

But the hunters kept coming, seemingly indefinitely. For every one they defeated, the other two looked on, their bright eyes filled with venom. Sophia's power began to diminish, and her control over the water weakened.

"We must stop this," Tharros replied, his voice tight with worry.

"Working on it," Kael responded, his tone stern.

A thunderous rumble resonated throughout the sea. The water surrounding them became chillier and darker, as if something far more historical and effective was stirring. The hunters froze, their predatory attention going closer to the source of the noise.

Sophia's breath froze in her throat as a gigantic shadow appeared from the depths. It grew unlike anything she had ever seen-a leviathan whose shape shifted and writhed as if the ocean itself had come alive. Its presence grew oppressive, and its power overwhelming.

"Stay at the back of me," Tharros said, his voice urgent.

Sophia hardly had time to respond before the leviathan launched a loud roar that sent shockwaves through the ocean. The hunters scattered, and their once-coordinated attack devolved into pandemonium. However, the leviathan was not interested in them. Its eyes became fixated entirely on Sofia.

"what's that?" She muttered, her voice shaking.

"The past," Tharros stated, his countenance opaque. "And it's right here for you."

Sophia's pulse raced as the leviathan approached, its massive body obscuring the faint light on the sea floor. Every instinct screamed for her to leave, but something deeper-something primal-kept her grounded in place.

"Whatever happens, don't allow it to contact you," Kael advised, his voice low and demanding.

"Why? "What will it do?" She requested, her chest squeezing with worry.

Neither man replied. Their silence became more scary than any explanation could have been.

The leviathan paused, its large, dazzling eyes fixed on hers. It lunged without warning.

The Prophecy’s Shadow

Sophia couldn't think about how they escaped the Leviathan. The moments following its thrust were a swirl of noise and turmoil. Tharros had yelled something she couldn't understand, Kael had dragged her into the crushing currents, and then there was complete blackness and the unrelenting hammering of her coronary heart.

While moderate, it became unlike anything she had ever seen. Warm, golden, and alive. It didn't flicker like the Genesis' harsh synthetic glow or pulse irregularly like deep-sea bioluminescent organisms. It became consistent, bright, and enticing, pouring from what appeared to be towering arches made of living coral.

She blinked, bewildered, as Kael helped her get to her feet. "where?"

"Aquaria," Tharros replied, his voice husky. His gaze was not on her, but on the vast space front of them.

Sophia followed his line of sight, her breath seizing. They were on the edge of a massive courtyard, surrounded by a city that appeared to be alive with activity. Crystal and coral systems spiraled in the direction of a light-reflective surface. The schools of vivid fish weaved through the spaces between, their movements synchronized like dancers in an ancient rite.

"Stunning," she whispered.

"Deceptive," Tharros mumbled beneath his breath. His tone jolted her out of wonder.

"What's wrong?" She asked, taking a step forward him.

He didn't respond. As a substitute, he walked forward, his stance rigid and his visage unreadable. Kael hesitated, staring at her with something that conveyed the perception of the situation.

"Stay near," Kael said softly, following Tharros.

Sophia trailed behind them, her anxiety increasing with each step. The courtyard grew large, its floor covered in delicate mosaics that gleamed dimly. As they walked, individuals began to emerge from the shadows: tall, sleek beings with both human and unearthly abilities. Their eyes, like Tharros', shone with a golden glow.

"who are they?" Sophia whispered.

"They may be Aquarians," Kael said. "Tharros' humans."

Their stares sliced through her, filled with a mix of curiosity, distrust, and something she couldn't quite place. Whispers reverberated throughout the group, their words incomprehensible despite their significance.

Sophia's chest tightened. She felt exposed and vulnerable, like if every mystery she'd ever tried to keep concealed was being revealed. She instinctively sought for Kael, but he had already moved away, his focus on Tharros.

The dragon king paused in the center of the courtyard, his presence commanding. The whispers stopped, replaced by an oppressive silence. Then, from the far end of the courtyard, a person advanced.

She was hanging, her dark hair pouring over her shoulders like liquid ink, and her garments glowed with iridescence. Her eyes, unlike the others, were a piercing green, and they focused upon Sophia with such intensity that her stomach twisted.

"Arin," Tharros said, his tone courteous yet apprehensive.

"Tharros," she responded, her tone silky and funky. "You've returned."

He tilted his head but said nothing more. The girl, Arin, moved her eyes to Sophia, her expression unreadable. "and you've delivered her."

Sophia bristled at the scorn in her tone. "i've a call."

Arin raised an eyebrow, a small smirk playing over her lips. "Do you now?"

"That's sufficient," Tharros said sternly. "She is here due to the fact she has to be."

"needs to be?" Arin repeated with a sarcastic tone. "Or because you need her to be?"

Sophia's arms tightened into fists. She had no idea who this person was or what her problem was, but she was not going to let herself be put down to. "when you have something to mention, say it."

Arin's smile grew. "Feisty. I'll see why you're attracted to her."

"Arin," Kael interrupted, his voice firm. "This isn't the time."

"It never is," she said, taking a step back, her gaze calm. "Very well." Let's hear what the monarch has to say."

Tharros turned to face the gathered gathering, his jaw tightened. "Aquaria is in danger," he began, his voice steady but filled with an anxiousness that made Sophia's stomach turn. "The hunters become braver, and the Leviathan stirs. "The balance is breaking."

A murmur spread through the gang, their golden eyes flashing with apprehension.

Tharros persevered. "However, we are not without hope. The prophecy describes a merger, a confluence of energy on the way to restoring what has been lost."

"And you observed she's the key?" Arin inquired, her tone suspicious.

"I don't assume," Tharros responded, his voice rising. "I recognize."

The crowd's murmuring became louder, and their gazes shifted between Tharros and Sofia. She felt like a bug beneath a magnifying glass, with every eye examining and condemning her.

"Why her?" inquired the person known as out.

"She's no longer one of us," the others remarked.

"She's human," a third voice said, dripping with disgust.

Sophia opened her mouth to cover herself, but Tharros spoke first. "She is extra than human."

The throng grew hushed, their attention drawn back to him.

"She bears the markings," he continued, shifting his gaze to Sophia. "display them."

Sophia blinked, anxious. "Show them?" Show them what?

"The markings," Tharros said softly. "They appeared during the course of the battle. "They are proof of who you are."

She stared at him, her mind racing. Markings? She didn't consider anything like that. However, she remembered the strange light under her skin and how the water appeared to respond to her. She slowly and hesitantly lifted her palms. The group watched, holding their collective breath.

Initially, nothing occurred. But soon, thin lines of light began to develop on her pores and skin, forming complex patterns that pulsed with otherworldly strength. Gasps echoed across the gang, joined by whispers of disbelief.