A/N: MER PEOPLE ARC IS COMPLETE. Thanks to everyone who stayed through the storyline.
They reached the Treasury Corridor. It was dark, guarded by heavy stone golems that only moved for Royal blood.
Caspian raised his hand. The golems stepped aside. At the end of the hall stood the Gate.
The Treasury Gate stood before them, a swirling vortex of mana and displaced water, framed by ancient black coral that seemed to pulse with a heartbeat of its own.
It was a wound in the reality of the Deep Spires, a tear that led away from the pressure, away from the magic, and away from the life Roxy had built over the last eight months.
Roxy's hand hovered over the black key she had just inserted into the lock mechanism. The water around her hummed, the vibration traveling up her arm and settling in her chest like a heavy stone.
She turned to Caspian.
