Chapter Four
The storm had become a living nightmare. Waves slammed against Aurelya's coral ship, hissing like dragons in pain, while lightning split the sky in violent, jagged lines. The skeletal leviathan loomed above the deck, its hollow eyes burning with fire stolen from the ancient depths. Kaelthar circled frantically, wings slicing through the gale, claws striking at the monster-but each blow barely slowed it.
Aurelya's heart pounded. She had fought monsters older than kingdoms, commanded storms that swallowed continents, yet this... this was different. This creature had no allegiance, no fear, no hesitation. It moved with purpose-its eyes locked on her. And the whispers of the Skull of Erythros wound through her mind like ice: "You cannot protect them all, Ocean Queen... choose, or all will fall."
"Kaelthar!" she shouted, voice cracking over the roar of wind and wave. "Bind it to me! Now!"
The dragon roared in defiance, unleashing a torrent of molten fire at the leviathan's skull-like face. The creature recoiled, yet its attack didn't falter. Massive skeletal claws splashed into the deck, snapping timbers like twigs. Sailors screamed, thrown overboard into the raging tide, swallowed instantly by the dark, cold waters.
Aurelya raised her trident high, chanting in the ancient tongue of the ocean. The Tide of Echoes surged, a wave of iridescent magic that shimmered across the storm, seeking dominance over the leviathan. The skeletal beast hissed and twisted, seemingly resisting her call-but something flickered in its hollow eyes. A pause. Recognition.
Kaelthar lunged, teeth bared, claws extended-but then froze midair. His eyes flickered with golden fire, but there was hesitation. Aurelya's stomach dropped. The Skull's whispers were creeping into her dragon too, tempting him with visions of untold power.
From the shadows, Thrynn's laughter rang out, warped and cruel. "Look at them, goddess! Your dragon, your mighty ocean-they can be swayed! The Skull answers only those who dare embrace it fully!"
Aurelya's jaw clenched. "No, Thrynn," she spat. "Power without loyalty is nothing!"
But Thrynn was already moving. Shadow flames erupted from his staff, striking the water. The skeletal leviathan shrieked-not in pain, but in recognition. It turned, lightning and shadow converging on Thrynn's phantom vessel. The warlord had sought to control the monster, yet underestimated the creature's ancient will.
Aurelya saw her chance. "Kaelthar! Now!" she bellowed. The dragon lunged, biting into the leviathan's spine. The skeletal monster howled, shaking the ocean as it thrashed violently, waves exploding in every direction.
For a moment, victory seemed within reach-but then the Skull whispered again, louder this time, crawling through her mind: "Sacrifice to survive... or lose everything."
Aurelya faltered. Her magic surged uncontrollably, the Tide of Echoes writhing like a living creature. Kaelthar roared in alarm, sensing the shift. In that moment of hesitation, Thrynn vanished-again-but not quietly. A shadowy explosion erupted beneath the water, dragging part of her ship into the abyss. Screams filled the storm as sailors were swallowed by darkness.
The ocean itself trembled. The leviathan, now enraged, shot upward, looming above the remnants of Aurelya's deck. Its hollow eyes locked on her again. She raised her trident, the last of her strength focused, knowing the next strike would decide the fate of the ocean, the Skull, and every soul on board.
And then-silence.
Not peace. Not calm. But the kind of silence that precedes devastation. From the deepest part of the abyss, a voice spoke-older than Thrynn, older than even the dragon. A voice that made the very ocean shiver:
"Queen of the Tides... it is time to choose."
Aurelya's eyes widened. The Skull wasn't just awake. It had called something... something far worse than any warlord, far older than the oceans themselves.
And in the darkness beneath the waves, the next horror stirred, unseen but unstoppable.