Chapter 170
The journey to Ao is long.
Khale leads the way, his posture stiff but determined, while Cora lingers near the rear, her sharp gaze darting between the shadows. The tension in her movements betrays her wariness. We’ve been moving for hours when faint lights begin to appear in the distance. My heart leaps; Ao, the subterranean capital, is near.
“Stay sharp,” Wake mutters, his voice a low rumble. “We’re not exactly welcome here.”
Khale doesn’t respond, his focus locked ahead. As the lights grow brighter, the landscape around us transforms. Jagged underwater cliffs rise on either side, their surfaces dotted with bioluminescent coral formations that shimmer faintly.
The city itself gradually comes into view, its structures carved into the rock, glowing with a mixture of natural light and artificial brilliance. The sight is breathtaking—and unnerving.
Before we can approach further, a sudden commotion grabs my attention. A retinue of warriors is engaged in a desperate battle with a massive electric eel. The creature’s body writhes violently, its length sparking with arcs of deadly energy. The water pulses with its power, sending ripples through the surrounding currents. My skin prickles as the charge brushes against me.
“We need to help them,” I say, my voice steady but urgent.
“We need to stay out of it,” Wake counters immediately, his jaw tightening. “This isn’t our fight.”
A piercing cry rings out as the eel’s tail lashes through the water, striking one of the warriors. The man’s body jerks violently as electricity courses through him before he goes limp, sinking slowly. My stomach churns at the sight.
“They’re going to die if we don’t do something,” I snap, my eyes flicking between the eel and the struggling fighters.
“Phoebe—” Wake begins, but I’m already moving.
The current tugs at me as I kick forward, adrenaline surging through my veins. The eel’s glowing eyes fix on me briefly before it refocuses on the warriors. Its jaws snap shut around a spear, shattering the weapon with a burst of force that sends shockwaves rippling through the water.
“Damn it, Phoebe!” Wake growls, following after me. Khale and Cora exchange a quick look before joining the fray.
The closer I get, the more I can feel the eel’s electricity crackling through the water. My skin tingles uncomfortably, and the charge makes every movement feel heavier. One of the warriors thrusts another spear into the eel’s side, but it barely reacts, its massive body writhing as it releases another burst of energy. I grit my teeth, reaching for the strange, cold power buried deep within me.
“Come on,” I whisper, willing the spark to surface.
The icy sensation spreads through me, sharp and biting. I latch onto it, channeling the power outward as I extend my arms. The electricity from the eel surges toward me like a tidal wave, but instead of overwhelming me, it flows through me. I redirect it upward, away from the warriors and my friends, until it disperses harmlessly into the surrounding water.
The eel thrashes violently, momentarily disoriented. One of the warriors takes advantage of the opening, plunging a blade into its side. The creature’s blood blooms in the water, dark and viscous, but it’s not enough to bring it down. The eel surges forward, its jaws snapping wildly.
“Phoebe, keep it distracted!” Khale shouts, his voice cutting through the chaos.
I nod, focusing on maintaining control of the eel’s electricity. Each burst of power it releases sends a jolt through me, but I hold steady, redirecting the energy away from the others. My arms ache, and my entire body feels stretched to its limit, but I refuse to let go.
Wake moves with predatory precision, his blade gleaming as it slices through the water. He lands a brutal strike against the eel’s underbelly, causing it to roar in pain. The creature convulses, its movements growing more erratic. For a heart-stopping moment, it turns its full attention to Wake, its jaws snapping dangerously close.
Khale barrels into the eel from the side, driving a spear into its gills. The creature’s thrashing grows weaker, its massive body writhing sluggishly as it fights to stay alive. Cora seizes the moment, darting in with swift, calculated movements. Her weapon pierces the eel’s skull, and the creature finally goes still, sinking slowly to the seafloor.
The water is eerily quiet in the aftermath, the only sounds coming from the ragged breaths of the warriors as they recover. I release the electricity I’ve been holding, my limbs trembling as the power dissipates. My vision swims briefly, but Wake is at my side in an instant, his hands gripping my shoulders to steady me.
“Are you okay?” he asks, his voice low but filled with concern.
I nod, struggling to catch my breath. “I’m fine. Just… tired.”
One of the warriors approaches, his expression a mixture of wariness and gratitude. “You saved us,” he says gruffly. “Thank you.”
Khale steps forward, his posture commanding despite the exhaustion in his eyes. “We’re here to see the Dawn King. Take us to Ao.”
The warrior hesitates, his gaze flicking between us and the fallen eel. Finally, he nods. “Follow me.”
As we swim toward the glowing city in the distance, the tension in my chest refuses to ease. My body aches, and my mind races with questions. This battle was just the beginning. Whatever waits for us in Ao will demand even more from all of us.
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