Kael gasps, his eyes snapping open to find himself enveloped in darkness. His chest heaves as he tries to steady his breathing. He blinks, trying to adjust his vision, and slowly realizes that he can see—just barely. The world is dim, murky, but not entirely black. A faint, ethereal glow outlines the distant shapes of rock formations, but it feels distant, cold, and unfamiliar.
"Where… am I?" Kael whispers to himself, the sound of his own voice echoing eerily in the dark expanse. His body feels heavy, aching from the collision, but the pain is distant now, dulled. He floats, suspended in the water, unsure of which way is up or down. His heart races, the silence around him unsettling.
He spins slowly, his eyes scanning the endless darkness for any sign of his team, of the creatures, of anything. But there's nothing. The water feels thick and oppressive, as if it's holding him in place. His mind races—what happened to the others? Are they still fighting? Did they survive?
"Naida?" he calls out softly, the sound barely carrying. "Taryn? Gorran?"
Only silence answers him.
Kael grits his teeth, forcing himself to move. His muscles protest, but he pushes through the pain, kicking his feet to propel himself forward. He moves slowly at first, unsure of which direction to go. The dim light around him does little to guide him, but he keeps moving, determined to find something—anything.
As he swims through the darkness, his thoughts whirl in a chaotic mix of fear and guilt. He wasn't fast enough. He didn't protect them. The last image of his team being attacked flashes in his mind, the beast's jaws snapping at them with terrifying speed. He should've done more. He should've—
A sudden movement in the distance catches his eye. His heart leaps as he instinctively grips the spear still strapped to his back. He watches, tense, as a shadow shifts in the murky water, something large and slow moving just beyond his line of sight.
Kael's heart pounds in his chest as he hears the low growl echoing through the water. The shadow seems to move closer, and every instinct in his body screams for him to move. Without a second thought, Kael darts away, swimming as fast as his aching body allows. He doesn't have a plan, only a desperate need to escape. His feet kicks furiously, propelling him through the dark water as he weaves through jagged rock formations and debris.
His breath comes in short, ragged gasps, and his mind is a whirl of panic. He can still hear the creature's distant growl, but he doesn't dare look back. The water is too dark, the pressure too suffocating. He needs to find a way out—any way out.
Kael swims aimlessly, his muscles screaming in protest, his vision blurring. The darkness feels endless, like it's swallowing him whole. He pushes harder, his body running on pure adrenaline. And then, just as he feels like he can't swim any further, something catches his eye.
A faint glow in the distance.
It's not much—just a small, flickering light—but in this void of darkness, it feels like salvation. Kael's chest tightens with hope, and he angles himself toward it, swimming with renewed energy. The light grows brighter as he approaches, illuminating the water around him in soft, golden hues. It spills out from what looks like the entrance to a cave.
Kael's heart pounds as he pushes forward, his eyes locked on the light spilling from the cave. The water grows colder the deeper he swims, the pressure increasing as he nears the abyssal depths, but the glow pulls him in like a beacon. The surrounding darkness feels heavier, like it's pressing in on him, but the promise of shelter—even temporary—gives him the strength to keep going.
As he nears the entrance, he notices the cave mouth is larger than he first thought. Jagged rock formations frame it, looking almost like teeth, as if the cave itself were some ancient creature waiting to swallow him whole. Kael hesitates for only a moment, his breath coming in shallow gasps. There's no time to second-guess himself. That thing—whatever it was—is still out there, hunting him.
He darts forward, slipping inside the cave. Immediately, the water feels different here—still cold, but somehow calmer, the oppressive weight of the abyss easing slightly. The glow comes from deeper within, pulsing gently, almost like a heartbeat.
Kael takes a moment to catch his breath, floating just inside the entrance, his hand gripping his spear tightly. He listens, his ears straining for any sign of movement outside. But the growl is gone, replaced by the eerie silence of the deep. For now, at least, he's safe.
He swims cautiously further into the cave, the light growing brighter as he ventures deeper. The walls are slick with moss-like growths that shimmer faintly in the low light, casting strange shadows across the rocky interior. His heart rate begins to slow as he realizes the creature hasn't followed him here. But that brings another concern.
"Where am I?" Kael mutters to himself. The cave feels ancient, untouched by the world above. It's eerily quiet, save for the soft hum of the glowing moss.
As he explores further, the light reveals a deeper chamber ahead. The water is clearer here, almost shimmering in the faint glow. He hesitates at the threshold, looking around. There's no sign of life—no creatures, no movement, just the soft pulse of the cave's glow.
Kael hovers for a moment, gazing around the chamber, his breath steadying. His muscles ache, his wounds throbbing faintly. He instinctively reaches for his side, expecting to feel the familiar sting of torn flesh, but something strange happens—his injuries don't hurt as much as they did moments before. In fact, the pain is fading, little by little.
Confusion knits his brow as he runs his hand over his skin. His cuts—ones that had bled profusely during the fight—seem to be closing on their own. The bruises he'd gathered from being slammed into the coral ridge are disappearing, the soreness dissipating with each passing second.