Great Risk

Nova couldn't believe what he had witnessed in quick succession. First, he had seen Virgo stabbing Arcturus. Then, Arcturus grabbed his stabber and pushed him into the freezing emerald sea. There was no way that man was getting out of this alive. Desperation came to Nova as he peered over the area Arcturus plunged into.

He gulped. Even if Souhait had numbed his body so he wouldn't feel nauseous, nothing could stop him from feeling queasy and afraid of entering a large body of water. He could not fathom being unable to feel his feet touching something solid for support. It was a feeling of falling that only made one sink even deeper if one was unable to swim–a feeling of impending doom. A normal person would drown the longer they stayed submerged.. However, for an immortal like him, drowning wouldn't kill him; to him, it was just underwater torture. His lungs would be overstuffed with water, blocking both his mouth and nose from respiration. Being unable to swim meant he would be helpless. Despite his fear of the ocean, he stood up with a determined expression.

I won't let him die.

Are you ready to risk it all for him?

He is to be at our side because of his wish's condition. However, even if we didn't make that condition, he'd still stay by our side. You promised Kori you'd do something if Arc was on the verge of death. Even if he chose not to accept this method, we'll still force it upon him. We…no, I only want Arc by my side! Let's do this, Souhait. Even if it makes me exhausted for weeks or even months, let's save Arc!"

I will go wherever you will.

Taking a deep breath, he squatted and then took a great leap. Suddenly, his body started to change. He no longer took the form of a human; his body elongated and he could feel scales growing out of his skin. He transformed into the draconic Souhait for the second time. He took his serpentine body and dived into the ocean. The chilled waters caused his body temperature to lower drastically. Even if he was chilled to the brim, this was the only way he could swim confidently to Arcturus. He slithered through the waters, as if it was a surface.

Wait, I sense something unusual.

Nova stopped and scanned the vicinity. All he saw was the underwater depths. Suddenly, he saw fishes zipping past him and a shark. He wondered what was going on, but he did detect an ominous presence heading his way. He looked down at the sinking Arcturus and then up at the dark depths of the water.

Suddenly, an emerald green light headed his way swiftly. His eyes widened when he saw what seemed to be a gigantic emerald green whale approaching in improbable speed. He started hearing haunting voices that gradually became louder the closer it got. A sudden surge of fear came to him as he went for Arcturus again, even shouting his name as he worried about him starting to choke on the water.

Hopeless… it's all hopeless.

What's the point of existing?

There's really nothing that can be done about our situation.

The world is on the verge of doom.

The words of despair started affecting Nova's mind. He was shaking erratically.

What is this creature? Did this whale even exist when you created the world, Souhait?

This is no ordinary whale. This must be that thing Arcturus had mentioned before–the Despair Emerald Whale. To think it actually exists…

Nova noticed how close in proximity he was with the whale now. The whale had an extremely large and long smooth body with an equally long tail that was still shorter than Souhait's with two fins branching out at the end. It had small eyes, yet it was still big enough to piece into his soul. What he found unusual about the whale was that it was a translucent creature.

It now made sense why he had never heard of this emerald whale before; it was a rogue spirit that only certain people could see. He wondered who had encountered this despair-filled whale and how long ago it was for it to become an urban legend.

While the dread still lingered, Arcturus was still his first priority as he resumed swimming and eventually grabbed him with his tail and claws. Once he was in his arms, time was up for Nova as he reverted back into his human form. The dread within him grew.

Arcturus's eyes were closed but his mouth was gaped. He used his hands to touch his neck, but it was too cold to detect if a pulse was present. He couldn't check his heartbeat due to the water. All he could assume was that Arcturus was dead and it filled him with despair. He held onto him tight. His energy was slowly seeping.

Souhait…

The only way to save him is to revive him with my blood…but whether he accepts it or not is up to him.

Please… Just do whatever to save him. I don't want him to die… I don't want to let go of him ever…

I understand how you feel. I will comply with your request. Nova, I need you to put some of my blood into his wound. It must be the blood from your right palm.

Nova did as he was told. He changed his left fingernail into a draconic talon and used the sharp tip to cut his right palm. Lavender blood started seeping out as he placed his hand onto the gut wound.

Please accept it, Arc… He kept pleading for it to work.

In the corner of his eyes, the whale started opening its mouth. Its sucking power was too powerful; Nova was too exhausted to fight back. He held onto Arcturus tightly as he accepted his fate of being sucked in.