Chapter 6: The Watcher
Elise's fingers dug into the armrests of her seat, knuckles white. The submersible drifted to a stop in the open plaza of the Lost City, the unseen force finally relenting. The glow from the carvings pulsed like a slow breath, illuminating the thing that had spoken.
It stood at the heart of the ruins—tall, elongated, its form shifting like liquid in the water's current. At first, it resembled a robed figure, but as the light flickered, its shape rippled, becoming something wrong. Something ancient.
Tobias was rigid beside her, his breath shallow. "Tell me that's not real."
Elise swallowed hard. "It's real."
The being's head tilted, or at least, it seemed like a head. Its face was indistinct, an absence rather than a presence, but she felt its gaze burrow into her skull.
"You are the first in centuries to return," it repeated, the voice reverberating through the water, through Elise's very bones.
The carvings on the buildings brightened. The city was waking.
Elise forced herself to speak. "What… what is this place?"
The Watcher—because what else could she call it?—was silent for a moment. Then, slowly, it raised an arm.
The water trembled.
A ruined temple loomed in the distance, its entrance lined with jagged pillars and symbols that burned with eerie light. Beyond it, shadows stirred.
"Enter, and you will understand."
Elise shuddered. Every instinct screamed at her to flee. But there was no way back.
Tobias exhaled sharply. "This is a bad idea."
"I know." Elise reached for the manual thrusters, guiding the sub toward the temple.
The Watcher did not move as they passed. But Elise knew—it was watching.
And they were not alone in the city.
Something else was waiting.
Something hungry.