Caught in the relentless torrent, Mizukane plummeted alongside the plane, Thornessa no more than four inches above him.
They hurtled through the sky at a breathtaking speed.
Drained, Mizukane thought, my strength is fading... so weary. If only I could unleash my power, Thornessa would vanish in an instant... Her touch still lingers in my mind...Before summoning the water dragon, I must gauge our altitude.
He flipped upside down, stretching his limbs into an X, mirroring the plane's free fall.
I need to calculate the height... alright... in about 63 seconds, we'll hit the ground. Using physics, average speed of falling is 10 m/s, so height equals ½ ft² that's ½ × 10 × 70² = 24,500.
I'm 24,500 feet above earth, falling fast. Survival depends on summoning the water dragon just 100 feet above ground. To do that, I must envision the height with perfect clarity.
The storm raged on, rain pouring without mercy, thunder crashing. Mizukane struggled to see the earth, relying solely on his imagination.
His red shirt clung to his soaked skin, billowing with the air pressure. His jeans and shoes were drenched, hair wild in the wind.
Above him, Thornessa fell naked, rain tracing her flawless curves. Drops slid over her skin, slipping even through her form. Her long, beautiful hair spread like a dark veil in the storm.
Mizukane focused, inhaling deeply and exhaling slowly. He raised his left palm upward, fingers gently curled as if holding still water a symbol of humility and readiness.
Then, his right hand rose to his chest, index and middle fingers extended, others curled. These two fingers crossed over his heart binding his spirit to the summon.
Slowly, he brought both hands together, shaping them into a pointed oval like a water droplet or a dragon's eye, positioned before his chest. Fingertips met, palms slightly apart.
Raindrops froze mid-air. Suddenly, water lifted, defying gravity twisting into a tight, rising vortex around Mizukane.
Blue sigils glowed beneath his feet, rotating like clockwork, glowing script dancing along the vortex walls.
Lightning crackled within the spiraling water white and cyan flashes illuminating the storm.
From the swirling vortex emerged a massive, serpentine form, scales shimmering like liquid glass.
Its eyes were deep ocean blue, rotating glyphs spinning within each pupil.
Water droplets above fused into a single, immense orb.
With a deep breath, Mizukane slammed his hands outward, sending ripples through the air, and shouted:
"Abyssiaqua, rise from the deep where stillness reigns. I call not as master, but as mirror reflect and awaken!"
Suddenly, the fused droplet exploded into a powerful water blast, pressure intense enough to shatter bone.
A mighty roar echoed the water dragon's scream, commanding and filled with raw power.
The creature's body was long and serpentine, coiling with smooth, flowing curves that carved power through the sky . Mid-flight, it arced like a wave, suspended in eternal motion, graceful and mighty. Its iridescent scales gleamed like gems, catching every flicker of light and shifting hues as it moved.
Teal and turquoise dominated its upper body, blending from deep teal along its back to soft turquoise along its sides. Its underbelly glowed silvery aqua, pearlescent and luminous against the dark ocean backdrop. Along its spine and fins ran subtle violet-blue accents, lending ethereal depth. Scale edges flickered between emerald and pale cyan, making the dragon appear forged from living water.
Its eyes burned with fiery orange-red irises, glowing like molten jewels, piercing the cool spectrum of its body. Whiskers extended outward thin, glowing teal tendrils pulsing gently, curling like magical mist. Its mane cascaded behind in waves of dark teal and black, flowing like ocean spray driven by the storm.
Two horns crowned its head, curved and antler-like, with elegant tapering branches. They glowed rich golden-brown, marbled with bronze streaks, their matte finish catching subtle light like aged wood polished by time and tide.
Its tail spiraled gracefully into the air, commanding the sky.
INSIDE THE FLIGHT
Children screamed. Suitcases burst from overhead bins. A stewardess was thrown down the aisle.
Seat 6A – A pilot off-duty frozen in terror.
"This is a death spiral…"
Seat 9C – A German physicist gripped her coat, staring through the window.
"No... no, something's forming in the rain."
Seat 20F – An elderly Japanese woman closed her eyes, whispering:
"Tatsu no kami… dragon god... protect us."
Cockpit
The altimeter spun 500... 400... 300 ft...
Co-pilot, shaking, gripping the yoke:
"We're going to crash we can't pull up! We're done!"
Renji calmly lit a cigarette amid chaos, gazing at the dragon through the window.
"Not today."
"That's Mizukane… he's not here to die. I expected this from the start; he's a ghost hunter."
Outside
Inside Thornessa, Andy saw the water dragon while falling and swallowed hard.
"Save the plane that's your first priority," Mizukane ordered. The dragon locked eyes with Thornessa, then unleashed a powerful breath. Following Mizukane's command, the dragon descended swiftly.
Its skin shifted into water. Opening its mouth, it shot a massive beam of water toward the ground where the plane fell. Its mustache and yellow eyes turned to water as well.
When the plane was just 40 centimeters from the ground, the dragon struck the surface, sending water spraying everywhere. Explosions of water blasted upward as the plane plunged into the water. Weighed down, it sank deeper and deeper.
Mizukane fell into the water, lying back, both hands raised. His right leg slightly lifted, bent at the knee, then straightened. His left leg hung naturally.
Inside the plane, Callum silently stared out the window.
What the hell? Why is my life like this? he muttered.
Air hostages slammed and blocked the door as water surged in. Windows cracked under the pressure.
Everything was underwater it felt like a tsunami had hit. The plane hovered just above the ground.
Outside, Mizukane smirked and uttered, "Abortion," before opening his eyes.
Suddenly, with immense force, water surged toward Mizukane. The plane's weight shifted, settling quickly at the bottom as water density changed.
Water rushed inside his body rapidly; in seconds, the water vanished and the flight had landed.
Mizukane found himself on the ground. He rose, smiling.
Finally, I saved them all, he thought but then his pupils dilated as he whispered, "But wait."
Suddenly, a force struck him, smashing him into a nearby tree.
The rain continued, thunder striking louder.
He realized he'd landed in a forest dense with trees. Birds nested quietly; leaves fell gently. The ground was lush with grass, sheep and deer nearby.
Another thunderclap.
He turned right and saw a waterfall flowing from the mountain, merging with the river below. The river wound through rocks, flanked by small, diverse herbs and shrubs.
Lions rested deep within a distant cave.
Another thunderclap echoed.