The ocean pulled Elliot deeper, the strange hymn growing louder and more haunting with every moment.
The faint glow below him intensified, and as he approached, the source came into view—a sprawling, ancient ruin buried beneath the sea.
Towers of stone and coral-covered spires jutted out like skeletal fingers reaching toward the surface, their designs intricate and alien.
The structures hummed faintly, resonating with the mana in the water, as if alive.
*What is this place?* he wondered, his gaze transfixed by the mysterious glow emanating from the center of the ruins.
Despite the weight of the water pressing against him, he felt an unnatural pull, his body drawn closer to the ruins as if they were calling to him.
He descended through the maze of crumbled walls and arches, brushing past schools of glowing fish that darted around him.
Strange murals adorned the structures, their stories etched in stone.
His eyes wandered over one mural depicting a grand city, perfectly circular and teeming with life.
At its center stood humans, dwarfed by towering dragons, who loomed over them as protectors—or rulers.
The skies above the city were filled with celestial beings, descending with radiant weapons.
Below the city, demons crawled out from the depths, their forms grotesque and monstrous.
"A war…?" Elliot thought. The realization settled heavily in his chest, the image etched in his mind.
As he swam further, he came to the source of the glow—a massive monolith that stood at the heart of the ruins.
The monolith itself was a masterpiece of craftsmanship, its surface carved with breathtaking precision.
At its center, a grand mural captured his full attention.
The mural depicted a great black dragon, its massive wings spread wide, enveloping the city below.
Its heart glowed with an intense, otherworldly brightness, and the dragon's gaze seemed almost alive, watching him even now.
Elliot's hand trembled as he reached toward the glowing heart, compelled by a force he couldn't resist.
*What is this feeling?*
As his fingers brushed against the surface of the mural, an explosion of mana surged through him, sending shockwaves across the ruins.
His vision blurred, and the world around him twisted.
_____
Above the waves, chaos reigned.
The Pygmaian fleet fought valiantly, their cannons roared as they drove back the remaining monsters.
On the deck of the flagship, Elder Vaqal stood amidst the chaos, her staff glowing as she cast her divination.
Her usual calm and composed demeanor shattered in an instant. Her eyes widened as she staggered, gripping her staff tightly to keep from falling.
The spell she and Amara had cast had revealed something far worse than anyone could have anticipated.
"Elder Vaqal!" Amiyan shouted, rushing to her side. "What is it? What did you see?"
Vaqal's voice trembled, uncharacteristically shaken. "It's... it's not just monsters. Something far greater lies beneath. It's waking up."
Amara's hands trembled as she clutched her alchemy kit, her voice barely above a whisper. "What does that mean? What's waking up?"
Vaqal's face turned pale. "A creature far older than the islands themselves. It should be impossible for it to rise."
Roshan stepped forward, her frustration boiling over. "Then we need to act now! We can't just sit here while Elliot is down there!"
"We can't act recklessly!" Vaqal countered, her voice firm but measured. "If that thing fully awakens, it won't matter whether we're rescuing Elliot or not. It will destroy us all."
"We can't leave him down there!" Roshan shouted, her hands balled into fists.
"We won't! I won't abandon Elliot" Amiyan snapped, stepping between her and Vaqal. "But... throwing ourselves into the water without a plan is-!"
The ship lurched violently, and the group was thrown to the deck as a wave of mana rippled through the air.
The Pygmaian sailors exchanged frantic glances as Vaqal steadied herself.
"We need to flee," Vaqal said urgently, her voice cutting through the chaos. "All of us. Now."
"Elliot—" Amara began, her voice cracking.
Vaqal turned to her, her expression fierce but filled with urgency. "I will not lie to you, child. This battle is beyond us. We must regroup, or there will be no one left to save him."
The crew exchanged worried glances, their resolve wavering as the water churned ominously below.
_____
Elliot opened his eyes, but he was no longer underwater.
He stood on an endless plane, its surface shimmering like molten silver under a swirling sky of amber and gold.
The air felt heavy with tension, crackling with unspoken energy.
He turned in every direction, searching for some sense of reality, but the emptiness pressed in from all sides.
"What is this place?" he muttered, his voice echoing unnaturally.
"You shouldn't be here."
A figure approached from the shimmering horizon, tall and foreboding, each step rippling the liquid-like ground.
It was a familiar face— the face of the body he currently inhabits.
His black-scaled armor was more menacing than what he ever created. Large, regal horns emerged from his forehead.
His golden eyes burned like twin suns in contrast to his silhouette that blends magnificently into the swirling void behind him.
"Rhaegos," Elliot said, the name surfacing unbidden, a thread of familiarity tugging at his chest.
"This body is mine," Rhaegos declared, his voice sharp and commanding. "I demand you return it to me."
Elliot narrowed his eyes, instinctively stepping back. "Return it? If I do that, I die. You're asking me to give up everything!"
"That doesn't matter." Rhaegos' voice cracked like a whip, his face darkening with frustration. "This world teeters on the edge of destruction. My mission must be completed, and you are standing in the way."
Elliot's temper flared, his fear giving way to anger. "I didn't ask for this! I didn't ask to wake up in your body, in your world, with your problems! Why should I die for a mission I don't even understand?"
Rhaegos took another step forward, his golden gaze burning into Elliot's. "You think your life matters in the grand scale? You think your existence is worth more than the fate of this world? Selfish boy."
Elliot clenched his fists. "Maybe I am selfish, but I have a right to live! I want to live!"
The two stared each other down, the air between them growing thick with tension. Finally, Rhaegos growled, his patience snapping.
"Then I'll take what's mine by force."
Rhaegos lunged, a blur of black and gold, his claws slicing through the space between them.
Elliot barely dodged, instinctively raising his arms to shield himself. Rhaegos came at him again, his strikes swift and precise.
Elliot stumbled, desperation mounting as he tried to fight back.
He swung wildly, his fists connecting with nothing but air.
Rhaegos was relentless, his attacks calculated and unyielding.
"You're weak," Rhaegos spat, driving Elliot to his knees with a powerful blow. "You don't belong in this world."
Elliot gritted his teeth, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. "Maybe I don't belong here, but I'm not giving up!"
Summoning every ounce of willpower, Elliot threw himself at Rhaegos, managing to land a single hit—a punch that staggered the dragon prince.
But it wasn't enough. Rhaegos retaliated with a devastating strike, sending Elliot sprawling across the shimmering ground.
"You're finished," Rhaegos said, standing over him. He raised his hand, black mana coiling around his claws. "I will reclaim what is mine."
Elliot closed his eyes, bracing for the end. But the final blow never came.
Rhaegos faltered, the mana dissipating from his claws.
He stumbled back, his shoulders slumping as if a great weight had crushed him.
"I can't," Rhaegos admitted, his voice cracking with defeat. "I can't take control. I am already dead."
Elliot opened his eyes, blinking in confusion. "What…?"
Rhaegos turned away, his figure dimming as if the light within him was fading.
"I no longer have the strength to reclaim what was mine. But you…" He paused, looking over his shoulder. "You can finish what I started. If you want to return to your world, you must."
Elliot forced himself to his feet, glaring at the dragon prince. "Why should I trust you? You've done nothing but threaten me."
Rhaegos sighed, his golden eyes dimming. "Because the alternative is death—yours, mine, and this world's."
Elliot's fists tightened. "Then tell me. What's this mission? What's this voice calling to me?"
"The ruins," Rhaegos said, his tone urgent and cryptic. "They hold a piece of our shared past. A fragment of the truth. Claim it."
Elliot shook his head, frustration bubbling over. "That's not an answer! What truth? What fragments?"
"There is no time!" Rhaegos roared, the desperation in his voice cutting through the void. "You're drowning!"
The surreal plane shattered, dissolving into a torrent of light and sound.
_______
Elliot gasped as reality slammed back into him.
The cold weight of the ocean crushed his chest, his lungs burning as seawater seeped in.
His vision blurred, the faint glow of the ruins below fading into darkness.
*I can't… I won't die here!*
Instinct took over. Shadows coiled around his body, black scales forming over his skin.
With a final, desperate push, Elliot's transformed body shot upward, cutting through the water like a blade.
The light above grew brighter and brighter until, at last, he broke the surface, gasping for air as the salty wind hit his face.