The ship slowly entered the waters of the Gulf of Sumer, though the word "slowly" only applied to its speed, for everyone except Kayn and Daniel, their hearts were pounding in fear and tension, including Veronica and the entire crew.
The sky above looked like a thick blanket of black smoke stretching endlessly. The sun was there somewhere, but it felt like no one had seen its light for a thousand years. The air they breathed carried the scent of iron and blood, strange, bitter, heavy, and almost suffocating.
For some of the weaker crew members, even breathing became difficult. They started coughing violently, their lungs damaged to the point that they coughed up blood.
The water beneath the ship changed color every few seconds, a thin red for a moment, then colorless again, as if blood from some massive unseen wound deep beneath the gulf leaked out and was reabsorbed. The waves struck in short, harsh pulses, like the heartbeat of something hidden below the surface.
