Mist curled over the edges of the reef as Kael stood, the corpse of the Deep Serpent now a black silhouette beneath the waves. The scent of blood had already begun to draw things from the deep.
Gravik's voice broke the silence. "You have three choices now, boy. Flee, fight, or follow the flame."
Kael didn't hesitate. "Where do I begin?"
The answer came not from Gravik, but from the shadows beyond the reef.
A ripple moved through the fog. A figure emerged barefoot over the water, walking as if the sea itself obeyed her steps.
She wore a cloak woven of kelp and dragonfish scale. In her hand, she carried a *trident* humming with ancient power. Her voice was calm, but carried weight.
> "The sea chose you. But choice alone is not strength."
Kael's grip on his sword tightened. "Who are you?"
"I am Lirien, Keeper of the First Flame."
Her eyes, glowing like bioluminescent coral, met his.
"You've drawn blood on sacred waters. That awakens more than just beasts. It awakens memory. Power. And... wrath."
Without warning, the water beneath Kael exploded upward. A wave shaped like a blade struck him backward, sending him crashing into a jagged coral wall.
"This is your first trial," Lirien said coldly. "Survive it, or sink forgotten."
Kael staggered up, blood in his mouth. His chest pulsed—the mark flickered.
He raised his hand and shouted, "Crashing Veil!"
The shield of water formed again, thicker now. He barely blocked the next strike.
Lirien watched with distant approval.
"Good. But the Deep won't wait. Your Flame must grow."
She raised the trident—and the water around them rose like soldiers. Each wave took the shape of a beast: shark, eel, leviathan.
Kael knew he couldn't win. Not yet. But he didn't need to win—only to endure.
He closed his eyes. Breathed. Listened.
The mark flared—hotter, brighter.
He screamed, and the sea responded.
A surge erupted beneath his feet, launching him into the air. With a roar, he came crashing down, blade-first, splitting one of the wave-beasts in half.
Lirien caught the strike of his blade with her trident, smiling slightly.
"You may survive after all."
---
⚔️ Kael unlocks a new technique: "Surge Pulse"
- A wave burst that knocks back enemies in all directions.
- Unstable, but powerful.
---
As Kael collapsed, soaked and panting, Lirien spoke again.
"Your training begins at dawn. You have until then to recover... or drown."
And just like that, she vanished back into the mist.
Kael lay there, muscles screaming, heart pounding.
But for the first time since his village burned, he smiled.
The sea had answered.
And it would soon obey.