The trio dashed through the forest until they reached the lake's edge. Mark gently let Opal down from his back. She hesitated as she climbed off, her fingers lingering on his shoulders, a small pout on her face.
She clearly wasn't ready to let go.
Zara, already annoyed by their little "moment," sighed loudly. Then, without warning, he peeled off his outer robe and tossed it to the side, revealing a shredded, muscular physique that looked carved from stone.
Mark and Opal both blurted out in unison, "Damn!!"
Zara froze mid stretch, eyes narrowing, his face turning bright red.
"Can you two not!?" he snapped, trying to sound mad but clearly flustered.
Mark and Opal quickly turned their heads and began whistling, pretending they hadn't said anything.
Zara rolled his eyes, trying to hide the pride behind his irritation. Then he looked to Mark. "Hey, think we can break through that barrier with magic?"
Mark shook his head, analyzing the distant shimmer hovering over the underwater castle.
"Not a chance. That thing's advanced. We'll need to get close and analyze it manually before we can figure out oh to break it ."
"Alright then," Zara replied, taking a deep breath. "I'll go first make sure nothing jumps you while you're studying it."
With a powerful dive, Zara plunged into the lake. A few seconds passed before his head surfaced again.
"It's clear so far. Hop in."
Mark turned to Opal. "Stay sharp while we're down there."
She nodded, eyes still on him. As Mark pulled off his soaked outer cloak, Opal's gaze lingered. Her cheeks flushed red when she caught herself staring at the muscles on his back.
Focus, girl... she thought, turning away quickly.
Mark dove in after Zara, slicing cleanly through the water as they both swam toward the barrier surrounding the submerged castle.
Beneath the surface, the shimmer of magic grew stronger.
Meanwhile, back at the surface...
The stillness of the lake shattered as ripples danced across the water. A soft hum echoed through the forest clearing, accompanied by the rhythmic splashes of delicate footsteps.
A woman danced atop the lake.
She moved like a ballerina spinning, leaping, twirling with impossible grace. Her performance was mesmerizing, as though time itself had paused to watch. Then, as her final spin came to an end, she turned sharply toward Opal, her movement ceasing like a music box winding down.
The dancer's short hair was cotton candy pink, cut into a neat bob. Her eyes were concealed beneath layers of pristine white bandages, and she wore a frilly tutu like dress with a large pink bow tied at her back. Despite the whimsical appearance, the air around her screamed danger.
Opal's body stiffened.
Something's wrong.
A wave of dread crawled up her spine like cold fingers. She instinctively stepped back, mana gathering at her fingertips.
"Who are you?" she asked, her voice firm despite the fear building in her chest.
The girl gave a graceful bow, the tips of her shoes barely kissing the surface of the water.
Her voice rang out, sugar sweet and laced with something terrifying.
"I am Rellana Gemini of the noble Gemini family. One of the Five Generals of The Kin. And today..." she tilted her head, smiling wide, "...I'll be your judge, jury, and oh-so-beautiful executioner."
Suddenly, the lake erupted.
Two massive golden sea serpents burst from the depths, their scales glinting like molten treasure under the morning suns. They twisted around Rellana in a spiraling double helix, hissing and glaring with ancient, glowing eyes.
Rellana raised her hand like a conductor commanding an orchestra.
"Gold Magic: Ancient Sea Guardians."
She licked her lips, her twisted grin growing wider.
"Boys..." she purred, "It's time to eat.
Rip her limb from limb... for Mommy."
The sea serpents let out a guttural roar, surging forward
Opal leapt backwards, barely avoiding the snap of one of the serpents' jaws as it lunged toward her. But the second serpent was faster its golden scaled body coiled around her mid air, crushing her with bone-snapping force.
Crack
She gasped for air as her ribs creaked, but with one desperate twist, she slipped through the coils like water through fingers. Her feet touched the ground in a crouch, lightning crackling across her fingertips.
Her eyes burned with focus.
"Come on, then."
With a spark, a bow of lightning formed in her hands pure mana in a volatile, shifting shape. She pulled back, and a volley of arrows formed on the string, then released.
ZZZAAAAK!!
A storm of electric arrows rained down on the golden serpent, piercing its massive body with terrifying speed. But
Nothing.
The serpent's scales shimmered. The lightning surged across its body, but instead of injuring it, the magic was absorbed.
And then
BOOM!
It fired the lightning back.
The full force of her own magic surged into her body, lighting up her nerves with excruciating pain.
"HHHHAAAAAAGGHHHH!!"
Opal's body convulsed and slammed into the earth. Her muscles twitched uncontrollably, her limbs barely responding.
Before she could recover, one of the serpents slithered toward her and wrapped around her body, lifting her from the ground and dragging her toward its master.
Rellana approached.
Her ballerina steps were elegant cruelly graceful, like death in a tutu. She placed a gloved hand gently on Opal's cheek, tilting her face upward.
Her voice came in a soft whisper, almost maternal.
"Oh, poor girl..."
She leaned in, her warm breath brushing Opal's ear like a viper before a bite.
"You're not built for this life. Why did you join the Knights Academy?"
Her voice darkened.
"This place isn't for kind little do gooders like you..."
She smiled cruelly, her fingers gripping tighter.
"Everyone here... is a trained killer, Miss Melody Opal."
Opal's eyes widened.
Her voice trembled in a mix of pain and confusion.
"I... I never told you my name... How do you know who I am?!"
Rellana released her grip from Opal's face. Then she spun away with a dancer's flourish, sliding gracefully across the water's surface on a single pointed toe.
Her twisted smile never left her face.
"Oh, darling... I know all about you."
She paused mid spin, one leg outstretched, arms wide like she was performing in front of an invisible crowd.
Then her expression snapped into something far more venomous.
"And your pathetic little family. A den of thieves… parasites who stole what was meant to be ours."
Opal's breath caught.
What is she talking about?
Suddenly
CRACK!
The gold serpents began constricting again, their glowing scales tightening like iron bands.
Bones creaked.
Lungs collapsed.
"AAAHHHHHHH!!"
Opal cried out, her body writhing helplessly.
Rellana's grin widened.
"And now you'll pay... for their transgressions."
Meanwhile... beneath the lake.
Mark and Zara created air bubbles over there head to make breathing eseier and communication possible. Mark hovered in the dark water, his eyes shut as he funneled his mana through the barrier's surface. He traced its structure with his senses complex mana lines, ancient inscriptions, layered with a dampening field that negated aggressive spells.
"Almost got it..."
Zara wasn't nearly as calm.
"MARK!" he bellowed, wrestling with a massive shadowfish, its form constantly shifting slimy like ink, with tendrils and jagged fins made of writhing darkness.
Zara held it from behind, one arm wrapped around its slick neck, the other clenching its jaw shut to keep it from biting.
It thrashed violently, its body spraying inky clouds that darkened the water.
"Are you finished analyzing that damn barrier yet?!" Zara shouted.
Mark cracked an eye open.
"Almost !"
"WELL HURRY UP BEFORE THIS THING TURNS ME INTO FISH FOOD!"
The shadowfish thrashed again, twisting and nearly slipping from Zara's grip. He surged lightning through his arms to paralyze it briefly, but it was only a stalling tactic.
"Alright, I got it now!"
Mark's eyes flared with focus as he surged a flood of mana into the shimmering surface of the underwater barrier.
The glowing wall crackled with resistance then shattered like glass, fragments of blue light dissolving into the water around them.
"Finally!" Zara shouted in relief
WHAM!
only to be slammed into a nearby stone wall by the furious shadow-creature. His body cracked the old castle stone, water bubbling around the impact.
The creature whipped around, launching itself at Mark with jagged jaws wide open, eyes glowing red with rage.
"MARK, LOOK OUT!!" Zara roared through the murky water.
Mark didn't even turn around.
He raised a single hand, calm and calculated then made a slow, deliberate crushing motion with his fingers.
In an instant, the water around the shadow creature compressed, the molecules trembling violently at Mark's command.
It convulsed, thrashing
POP!
Its internal organs ruptured simultaneously, unable to withstand the extreme pressure shift.
Blood burst from its eyes, gills, and mouth, staining the water with thick black-red clouds. The creature spasmed… then floated limp and lifeless.
Mark exhaled, turning back toward Zara.
"You alright?" he asked, voice even.
Zara floated for a moment, dazed, before giving a slow nod.
"Yeah... I'm good." He glanced at the creature's corpse, then at Mark. "That... was brutal."
Mark's expression didn't change.
He looked calm, maybe even casual.
But deep inside, Zara felt a chill not from the water... but from the cold calculation Mark had just displayed. That wasn't some noble knight's mercy kill.
That was slum born execution.
Zara's eyes narrowed as he silently thought to himself:
He hides it well... but Mark's not soft. Not even close.
That pretty boy face? That's a mask... and behind it is someone who's seen real blood.
Mark gave a faint smile.
"Come on. Let's go get Opal, Jessie's waiting."