Chapter 158
The megalodon thrashes in the water like a living avalanche, each movement of its enormous body sending powerful shockwaves rippling through the trench.
The vibrations rattle the rocky formations around us, dislodging chunks of stone and throwing up clouds of debris. Its jaws snap with deafening force, each bite large enough to crush a car, and its glowing eyes gleam with a malevolent intelligence.
Wake moves like a streak of silver in the murky depths, his blade flashing with deadly intent. He darts in close, striking at the creature’s gills with brutal efficiency before twisting away just as its massive head swings toward him. The water churns around him, bubbling and frothing as the beast’s immense tail sweeps through the trench, missing him by inches.
Khale stays on the opposite flank, his thresher tail whipping out in sharp, punishing arcs. He targets the megalodon’s softer underbelly, each strike landing with a crack that reverberates through the water. His movements are unpredictable, feinting in and out of range, drawing the beast’s attention away from Wake. But it’s not enough to turn the tide.
The megalodon roars, a guttural sound that shakes the very ground beneath us. It charges forward, its massive jaws snapping at Wake, who narrowly escapes by spinning away. The force of the lunge sends Wake careening into a rock wall, the impact shaking loose more debris. He recovers quickly, shaking off the hit, and launches himself back into the fray with a ferocity that makes my chest tighten.
“Khale, on the left!” Wake shouts, his voice cutting through the chaos.
Khale darts toward the megalodon’s left flank, his tail lashing out and striking the beast’s snout. The blow stuns the creature for a moment, its massive body jerking in surprise. Wake takes the opening, his blade slicing deep into the exposed flesh near its gills. Blood clouds the water, a dark plume that swirls around them like ink, but the megalodon doesn’t slow down.
The beast thrashes wildly, its immense tail swinging in a wide arc. The force of the movement sends a shockwave rippling through the water, slamming into Khale and knocking him back into a jagged outcropping. He grunts in pain but pushes off the rocks, his eyes blazing with determination as he charges back into the fight.
Wake lands another strike, his blade cutting into the beast’s fin. The megalodon roars again, this time in pain, and whips its head toward him. The movement is so fast, so violent, that Wake barely escapes being caught in its jaws. The teeth snap shut with a sound like thunder, sending a rush of water that almost pulls Wake into its maw.
I watch in helpless terror, my chest tight with fear as they struggle against the monster. They’re doing everything right—using strategy, exploiting the beast’s blind spots—but the megalodon is too powerful. Its size alone makes it an almost insurmountable foe, and every second the fight drags on, the odds tilt further in its favor.
Desperation claws at me. I can’t watch this anymore. I close my eyes, reaching into the ether with every ounce of willpower I can muster. The energy of the trench pulses around me, wild and chaotic, but I grab hold of it, letting it surge through me like a current. I picture the storm—the raw, untamed power of Electra’s lightning—and I call on it with everything I have.
Please, Electra. Help me help them.
It’s a desperate act, a call for strength I’m not sure I have, but I can feel it—the storm waiting just beyond my reach. Electra’s power thrums like a pulse in the void, electric and untamed, daring me to wield it.
I picture lightning—the blinding, raw energy of it searing across the heavens. I let the image consume me, feeling it spark in my chest and travel down my arms. Around me, the trench responds. The heat of the volcanic activity intensifies, molten geysers erupting with violent force, sending shimmering plumes of magma cascading into the water. The temperature spikes, the currents boiling and churning.
The first bolt of lightning is a crackling silver vein that explodes from the volcanic plumes, its flash illuminating the trench like daylight. It strikes the ground near the megalodon, the impact sending a jolt through the water that makes the beast recoil. The electricity surges outward, charging the water with lethal energy, and the megalodon roars in confusion, its massive body thrashing as it tries to escape.
But I’m not done.
I dig deeper, reaching for more, and the trench answers. Bolts of volcanic lightning strike, again and again, forming a cage of electricity around the beast. The bolts dance across the water, connecting in arcs that crackle and hum with raw power. Each strike sends shockwaves rippling outward, dislodging rocks and shaking the very ground beneath us.
The megalodon roars, its glowing eyes narrowing as it realizes it’s trapped. It lunges toward the edge of the cage, its massive jaws snapping, but the lightning flares brighter, forcing it back. The arcs sear into its flesh, leaving scorch marks across its thick hide. Blood mingles with the boiling water, the metallic tang of it sharp in my senses.
“Now!” I scream, the word tearing from me like a command.
Wake doesn’t hesitate. He moves like a predator, his blade gleaming as he dives straight for the beast’s exposed underbelly. His strike is devastating, cutting deep into the vulnerable flesh, and dark blood billows out in a thick cloud. The megalodon convulses, its massive body twisting in agony, but Wake doesn’t stop. He strikes again, his blade a blur as he carves through muscle and sinew.
Khale follows, his thresher tail a deadly whip that cracks against the megalodon’s head. Each blow lands with a resounding crack, the force enough to send shockwaves rippling through the water. The beast lets out a guttural roar, but it’s weaker now, its movements sluggish. It’s dying, but it’s not dead yet.
The lightning cage falters, the energy draining me faster than I anticipated. My vision blurs and my body flickers like a candle in a gale, but I grit my teeth and push harder. One last bolt of lightning arcs downward, striking the megalodon’s head with a deafening crack. The beast’s body seizes, its jaws snapping shut in one final, futile act of defiance.
Khale delivers the final blow, his tail smashing into the megalodon’s skull with a sickening crunch. The creature’s massive body goes limp, sinking slowly toward the trench floor. The waterfalls eerily still, the only sound the faint crackle of dissipating lightning.
I can’t hold on any longer. My ethereal form trembles, the connection to the ether slipping through my grasp. My vision darkens, the edges blurring, and I feel myself fading.
“Phoebe!” Wake’s voice cuts through the haze, sharp and desperate. He catches me as I begin to collapse, his hands steady despite the turmoil around us.
Khale swims closer, his expression grim as he surveys the aftermath. His voice is low, filled with a mix of awe and apprehension. “She did this? All of it?”
Wake nods, his gaze never leaving mine. “She did. This is the power of Electra’s heir.”
Khale’s green eyes glow faintly, his voice tinged with dread. “If one goddess can wield this much power, what happens when they all do?”
Wake’s voice is steady but firm, the words carrying a weight that chills me even through the ether. “They could heal both our worlds.”
Khale’s jaw tightens, his expression dark. “Or destroy them.”
I try to answer, to say something to break the tension, but I can’t. The effort of wielding the storm has left me drained, my connection flickering like a dying flame. I’m so close to slipping away into limitless space when a trill of warning comes rocketing through the ether.
I don’t have the time or energy left to say what I need to. I have a split second, half a moment. And so, just before the etherworld consumes me, whisking me back to my battered body, I look Wake and try my hardest to convey the appropriate sense of urgency.
“Help us!”
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