Chapter 9: Ancient Beasts
The temple walls trembled as something massive stirred in the darkness. The water around them rippled, and the carvings pulsed in warning.
Then, from the depths, it appeared.
A whale.
But not just any whale—this one was colossal, its body covered in bioluminescent patterns that flickered in rhythmic pulses, like a language only the deep could understand. Its eyes, massive and ancient, locked onto the submersible with unsettling intelligence.
Tobias sucked in a breath. "That is a big-ass whale."
Elise couldn't respond. She was too awestruck. The whale moved with an eerie grace, its movements slow and deliberate.
Then—another shadow.
A giant turtle, larger than any ship Elise had ever seen, drifted beside the whale. Its shell was covered in thick moss, glowing fungi, and deep-sea coral that shimmered like constellations in the abyss. Small fish darted between the overgrowth, treating it like a living reef.
Tobias pointed. "Okay, what the hell? Why does that turtle look like it's been hosting an entire ecosystem on its back for a thousand years?"
The Deep Elf—who had been silently observing their reaction—finally spoke.
"The Keepers."
Elise tore her eyes away from the creatures. "The Keepers of what?"
The Deep Elf met her gaze.
"The City. The Balance. The Secrets that were never meant to rise again."
Tobias scoffed. "Oh, cool. So they're, what? The landlords of Atlantis?"
The Deep Elf actually looked offended.
The whale let out a deep, resonating song that shook the water around them. The symbols on the temple walls reacted, glowing brighter in response. The turtle, slow and steady, turned its massive head toward them.
And then, it spoke.
Not with words. With thoughts. A voice so deep and ancient it felt like the ocean itself was speaking.
"You do not belong here."
Tobias clenched his jaw. "Well, trust me, big guy, it wasn't my idea."
Elise exhaled slowly. "We didn't come to harm anything. We just—"
The whale's song shifted. The symbols flickered frantically.
The Deep Elf narrowed their eyes.
"They sense it. The disturbance."
Elise's stomach twisted. "What disturbance?"
The Deep Elf slowly turned their head toward the farthest end of the temple, where the darkness remained untouched.
"Something else woke up with you."
As if on cue, a deep growl rumbled through the ruins. The whale let out a warning call. The turtle's shell glowed brighter.
Something was coming.
And it wasn't friendly.