Chapter 2 – The Sea of Monsters
The icy water engulfed Raphael. Each wave crashed down on him like a hammer, and his tired arms struggled to stay afloat. The salt burned his eyes, his lungs screamed, and the ocean seemed to want to devour him whole.
Beneath him, a gigantic shadow moved. Raphael felt his heart stop. The Sea of Monsters... I knew it.
He kicked desperately, but the current pulled him down. Around him, strange shapes appeared: sharp fins, massive silhouettes, glowing eyes watching him in the darkness.
Suddenly, in the distance, a glimmer of light. An island rose out of the sea, as if it had been torn from the depths. The old man's words echoed in his mind: "These islands only appear during the day... and disappear just as quickly."
Raphael began swimming with all his might toward this fragile salvation. Every wave seemed to want to push him away, every second counted.
The old woman he had met among the slaves surfaced, gasping for breath.
"Raphael! Hold on! The island... it's there!"
He reached her, grabbed hold of her, and together they struggled forward. But behind them, the shadow grew.
Then the sea exploded. A colossal creature leapt from the depths. Its skin was covered in dark scales, shiny like wet metal. Its yellow eyes glowed with a predatory light. But what froze Raphael was its mouth: an immense jaw, bristling with rows of sharp teeth, long as daggers, perfectly aligned to crush flesh and
bone.
The beast let out a roar that shook the ocean. The water rose up, throwing Raphael and the old woman backwards.
"Swim!" she yelled, pushing him toward the island.
But before he could react, the creature lunged at her. Its jaws snapped shut, and with a terrible noise, the old woman disappeared, swallowed by the sharp teeth. Her scream was lost in the waves.
Raphael stood frozen, his eyes wide, unable to breathe. Blood mixed with the salt water around him.
She's dead... right in front of me... and there's nothing I can do.
Terror seized him as the creature turned its gaze toward him. Its yellow eyes stared at him, and its jaws opened again, revealing dozens of sharp teeth ready to snap shut.
Raphael realized he had only one choice: flee to the island... or die here, torn apart like the old woman.