Chapter 64

"Sophia, no," Tharros protested. "The depths where the corruption originates are too dangerous, even for me."

"I don't see another choice," she replied. "I'm the bridge between worlds. I always have been."

Before Tharros could argue further, alarms blared throughout the facility. Red lights flashed, and security screens showed military vessels approaching above.

"They've found us," Chen said, rushing to the controls. "We need to leave now!"

Sophia made her decision. She stepped forward and placed her hands on the sphere. Instantly, pain shot through her body - not physical pain, but something deeper, as if the device were binding itself to her soul.

The sphere's light changed again, shifting to a rich blue-green that matched her eyes. When she removed her hands, glowing markings identical to those on the sphere had appeared on her palms.

"It's done," she whispered, feeling the device's power humming within her.

Tharros stared at her with a mixture of awe and despair. "What have you done?"

"Saved us both time," she said, trying to smile despite her fear. "Now let's go before the military breaks down the door."

Jackson quickly packed the sphere into a special case. "This will protect it until you reach the corruption's source."

Maya hugged Sophia tightly. "Come back to us," she whispered.

"We'll create a diversion," Chen promised, already heading for the controls. "Give you time to escape."

Sophia turned to Tharros, who still looked shaken. "Ready to go home?" she asked.

His expression hardened with resolve. "Our home," he corrected, taking her hand.

As they boarded the submarine, Sophia looked back at her friends - scientists who now stood between two worlds, just as she did. The weight of the device pulsed in time with her heartbeat, a constant reminder of what was at stake.

The submarine slipped into the underwater tunnel just as the first explosions rocked the facility above. Their journey back to Aquaria had begun - carrying with them humanity's technology, dragon magic, and the last hope for both worlds.

But as they descended into the deep, darkness swirled beneath them, as if waiting.

Two Worlds Colliding

Sophia gasped for air as the submarine broke the surface. The glowing marks on her palms pulsed in rhythm with her racing heart. Beside her, Tharros looked up at the stars, his golden eyes reflecting the moonlight.

"We can't go to Aquaria yet," he said, his voice tight with worry. "The military is still searching for us."

Sophia clutched the device to her chest. The sphere hummed with energy, sending tingles up her arms. "We need to test it first anyway. Chen, where should we go?"

Dr. Chen pointed to a rocky shoreline. "There. That cove is hidden from radar."

As they beached the small submarine, Sophia's mind raced with thoughts of Kael and Arin. It had been days since she'd been able to connect with them through the mental link they shared. Something was blocking their connection, and that worried her more than any military search.

"I need to know what's happening in Aquaria," she told Tharros as they unloaded the equipment onto the beach.

His face darkened. "I feel it too. The corruption is spreading faster."

"Can you try to reach them?" Sophia asked, touching his arm. His skin was burning hot, a sign of his rising anxiety.

Tharros closed his eyes. The air around him shimmered as he extended his consciousness toward the ocean depths. After a moment, his eyes snapped open, glowing with alarm.

"Kael and Arin are in trouble," he growled. "The barrier between our worlds is failing. The corruption has reached the outer city."

Deep beneath the waves, Kael swung his trident at the writhing blackness. The corruption had taken physical form now - tentacles of oily darkness that grabbed at anything with magical energy.

"Behind you!" Arin shouted, sending a blast of blue fire to burn away a tendril reaching for Kael's neck.

The warrior spun, driving his weapon into the darkness. It shrieked - a sound that shouldn't be possible underwater - and retreated momentarily.

"We can't keep this up," Kael panted, swimming to Arin's side. His armor was cracked in several places, leaking trails of blood into the water.

Arin's normally perfect white hair floated around her face in tangled strands. Her eyes glowed with fading power. "Where are Sophia and Tharros? They should have returned by now."

A wave of corruption surged toward them, blotting out the bioluminescent lights of the underwater city. Citizens fled toward the palace, the last stronghold still protected by ancient magic.

"Fall back!" Kael ordered his warriors. "Protect the inner city!"

As they retreated, Arin tried once more to reach the surface with her mind. Sophia, Tharros, we need you. Aquaria is falling.

On the beach, Sophia jerked as if struck. "They're calling us," she whispered. "We need to hurry."

Dr. Chen worked quickly, connecting the sphere to monitoring equipment. "We need to test it first. If this fails, both worlds are doomed."

Tharros paced impatiently, steam rising from his shoulders as his control slipped. "There's no time for tests!"

"Five minutes," Sophia said firmly. "That's all we need." She placed her hands on the sphere, wincing as it drew energy from her. The markings on her palms glowed brighter, matching the pulse of light inside the device.

Chen watched the readings on his tablet. "Power levels are stable. Now we need to see if it can actually neutralize the corruption."

Sophia looked around. "But we don't have any corruption here to test it on."

Tharros stepped forward. "We don't need to find corruption." He placed his hands over Sophia's on the sphere. "We need to open a small portal to where the corruption is."

"Is that safe?" Chen asked, alarmed.

"No," Tharros admitted. "But we have no choice."

Tharros began to chant in an ancient language. The sphere's light changed from blue-green to golden as his dragon magic flowed into it. Sophia felt the device growing hotter, the energy building to impossible levels.

"Something's happening!" Chen shouted, backing away as the air around them began to distort.

The beach in front of them shimmered like a mirage. Then, with a sound like tearing fabric, reality split open. Through the rift, they could see dark water swirling - not the ocean as they knew it, but the magical waters of Aquaria.

And in those waters, they saw the battle.

Kael spun in the water, suddenly aware of a strange light behind him. When he turned, his eyes widened in shock.

A tear had appeared in the water itself - a window looking onto a beach under moonlight. And through it, he could see Sophia, Tharros, and a human he didn't recognize.

"Arin!" he called. "Look!"

The sea witch swam to his side, her exhaustion momentarily forgotten. "They've opened a portal!"

Through the wavering connection, their eyes met across two worlds. For a moment, no one moved.

Then darkness surged toward the portal from Aquaria's side - tentacles of corruption sensing the magic and rushing to consume it.

"The device!" Sophia screamed as the corruption reached toward their reality. "Activate it now!"

Tharros pressed their hands harder against the sphere. "Focus your energy, Sophia. You're the bridge!"

Sophia closed her eyes, channeling everything she had into the device. She thought of Aquaria, of Earth, of the four of them bound together by fate and choice. She thought of Maya, Jackson, and Dr. Rivera working to save a world they'd only just discovered existed.

The sphere erupted with blinding light.

The corruption recoiled as the light hit it. Where the energy touched the darkness, it sizzled and dissolved.

"It's working!" Arin cried, her voice hoarse with hope.

Kael watched in awe as the light spread in a perfect circle from the portal, pushing back the corruption wherever it touched. Warriors behind him cheered.

But then something unexpected happened. As the light cleared the corruption, the portal began to grow larger.

"What's happening?" Kael shouted to Arin.

The sea witch's eyes were wide. "The barriers are falling!"

On the beach, Chen staggered backward as the portal expanded. "This wasn't supposed to happen! The device was meant to seal the worlds, not open them!"

Sophia couldn't let go of the sphere. Energy poured through her, using her as a conduit between worlds. She was vaguely aware of Tharros shouting, of Chen frantically typing on his tablet.

The portal grew until it was taller than a person, wider than their submarine. Through it, they could see the glowing spires of Aquaria in the distance, and closer, the shocked faces of Aquarian citizens staring back at them.

For the first time in history, humans were looking directly into the magical underwater kingdom.

And the Aquarians were looking back.

"Stop the device!" Tharros roared, trying to pull Sophia's hands away. But they seemed fused to the sphere, her eyes glowing with the same light as the portal.

"I can't!" she cried. "It's drawing too much power!"

Chen's equipment sparked and died as the energy overwhelmed it. "The magnetic readings are off the charts! This could tear a permanent hole between worlds!"

Through the portal, they could see Kael and Arin swimming toward them. Behind them, more curious Aquarians approached cautiously, their faces showing wonder and fear.

"Sophia!" Kael called, his voice distorted through the barrier. "The corruption is retreating, but something else is coming!"

"What?" Sophia shouted back. "What's coming?"

Before he could answer, the ground beneath them shook. The sea churned as something massive moved beneath the surface, drawn to the unprecedented magical energy.

Tharros's face went pale. "No," he whispered. "It can't be."