After Neroth vanished into the deep, silence drifted back over the ruins of Aqualis. Bits of sand floated slowly through the water like dust in an old library. The ancient city seemed to be holding its breath.
Selene spun in a slow circle, eyes wide. "So… we just fought a sea nightmare and survived. That means we're officially heroes now, right?" 😅
Kael gave a tired smile but kept his grip on the trident. "Heroes don't celebrate yet. Neroth retreated. That means he'll come back."
Riven's eyes moved toward the towering structure at the center of the city.
The palace.
Tall coral pillars framed the entrance, and glowing blue shells lined the archways. Even after centuries underwater, the palace still looked powerful, like a sleeping giant made of stone and sea.
"That's where the answers are," Riven said quietly.
Liora felt a strange pull in her chest again, stronger than before. The moonlight inside her seemed to whisper toward the palace doors.
"Yes," she said softly. "Something in there is calling me."
The group swam through the massive gates.
Inside, the palace was breathtaking. Long halls stretched into the darkness, filled with glowing sea plants that lit the walls in soft blue and silver light. Old murals covered the stone, telling stories of a time when the Moon and Sea ruled together.
Liora stopped at one of the murals.
It showed a girl surrounded by moonlight standing beside a warrior holding a trident.
"The Moon Guardian and the Sea Guardian," Kael said, studying the ancient art. "The first protectors of Aqualis."
Selene leaned closer to the wall. "They kind of look like… you two."
Liora and Kael exchanged a quiet glance.
Before they could say anything, a faint glow appeared at the end of the hall.
A pedestal stood in the center of a round chamber, and floating above it was a small silver crystal shaped like a crescent moon.
The Moon Relic.
Liora slowly swam forward, her heart beating faster.
"I think… this belongs to the Moon Guardian," she whispered.
Riven nodded. "And it's been waiting."
When Liora reached out and touched the relic, a burst of silver light filled the chamber.
The water shimmered.
Visions flooded her mind.
She saw the ancient kingdom of Aqualis when it was alive… bright towers, powerful guardians, and oceans full of life. But then darkness came.
A shadow rose from the deep.
Neroth.
The kingdom fell in a terrible battle that shook the sea itself.
The vision faded.
Liora gasped, clutching the relic as the glow slowly dimmed.
"What happened?" Selene asked.
Liora looked at her friends, her voice quiet but serious.
"Aqualis didn't just fall…"
She tightened her grip on the crescent relic.
"It was destroyed while trying to stop Neroth."
Kael's expression hardened.
"So this really is a war."
Riven folded his arms, watching the palace halls carefully.
"And now the next guardians have arrived."
The relic glowed again in Liora's hand, brighter this time, as if recognizing its new bearer.
Far away in the dark trenches of the ocean, Neroth's red eyes opened once more.
The children of Moon and Sea had taken the first relic.
And the ancient war was beginning again. 🌊