Underwater Dangers

Too long. They were taking too long.

Six paced back and forth on the terrace, expecting the return of the venturers but for the past three minutes, they had been under, not showing any signs of coming back. What bugged him the most was that Stone previously said that there was a second level. Had they gone to the second level?

"Six..." Thirteen called. There was worry clearly showing in her voice. Six stopped and looked at her and not only did she sound worried, she looked worried.

"They are going to be fine, right?" She asked.

Six looked at the water with a down expression and replied "I don't know"

As soon as he said that, three heads burst out from the water and the boys were gasping for breath and coughing the next moment. Immediately, his brain picked it up 'Where is Eleven?'

"Where is Eleven?"

But the boys were in no condition to talk. Panic was written all over their faces. Seeing as they were like that, even Purple, something must have happened down there, and Eleven got caught up in it.

'Ah, damn!'

If even just one of them died it would reduce the whole group's chances of survival by a lot so there was no other choice. He scratched his head, regretting the action he was about to take. The other boys were still trying to climb onto the pyramid when he suddenly dove into the water.

Purple tried to stop him, but it was too late. Six was gone.

"Wait! You can't go down there!" He screamed before coughing again.

***

Three Minutes Earlier

The four Seekers descended in the water and they summoned the Texts to illuminate the surrounding. From the point where they were, they could see the second level and Eleven suggested they go to it instead of aimlessly searching the first for a door that they might never have found.

Now that she could see it, it didn't look calming. It was another pyramid connected to the first one, apex-to-base, and around that apex were pillars that assisted in holding the first part up. Some of them were already broken, but the rest were still holding just fine and did not look like they would be collapsing anytime soon—or so she thought.

She gave hand signs, signaling for each person to follow closely. They understood some of what she meant and acted accordingly.

By the time they got to the second level, they had spent up to a minute under the water and would soon have to go back up for some air. The water around it was darker than from above, giving it some kind of eerie aura, but Eleven shrugged it off as nothing. That was why she did not notice that something had just zipped past them in the darkness of the depths.

The group neared the walls of the second level and with the aid of the light they could see many drawings and writings on it. Stone was interested in these kinds of things so he was the first to examine it. It was like nothing he had never seen before and just by seeing his eyes, the others could tell that he was fascinated.

They were running out of breath and now it was time to go back up. The journey was a minute long give or take. That was very short but it could also be the longest time in their lives.

As they swam back to the surface, Eleven saw something the corner of her eye and turned around swiftly but she was immediately caught by two hands.

Her texts shone on the face of her assaulters and she was given a straight to the chest. They were not humans.

The monstrous faces surfaced from the darkness, wide and unblinking, with black sclera and slit pupils that pierced through her like a predatory gaze. Their green, scaly skin glistened like wet stone in the light, slick and unsettling. A twisted grin spread across one's mouth, full of jagged, razor-sharp teeth, promising pain rather than pleasure. Gills pulsed along their necks jagged and raw, while sharp cheekbones and a tapered jawline added to their inhuman appearances.

Small spiny horns arched from their brows, completing the monstrous visages—creatures of hunger and fear.

While each had one hand holding Eleven, they wielded tridents in the other. One of them struck with his weapon immediately, driving the head of the trident through the lower right of her torso.

The others noticed late but when they turned around and saw the horrible sight, Eleven was already signaling for them to go, or that was what it seemed like.

***

Six was cursing at himself for trying to be a hero. If the others were unable to do anything then what was he, a guy with one hand and who could not even swim properly, going to do?

He summoned the Texts and tried to use them to light up his surrounding but they wouldn't. In anger, he dismissed them and looked around but he could not see Eleven anywhere. Eventually, due to lack of air and fruitless efforts, he went back to the surface.

The others helped him onto the terrace and then everyone sat down, looking dejected.

"What did you see down there?" Stone asked.

Six was quiet for several seconds before responding "Nothing I did not see anything" He replied.

"What do you think happened to her?" Purple said.

"I think it's pretty obvious" Red snapped.

Six glanced at Thirteen who sat at a distance away from the group. From the looks of it she was pretty shaken. After all, she and Eleven were close and over the past two to three weeks, they had built a pretty steady relationship.

Six got up and went to sit beside her but when he got a proper look at her, she was not looking sad at all. Was she just trying to stay strong or was it that she just did not care about Eleven and only her survival.

"U-um..." Six scratched his head, not knowing what to say at this point, so he just went with the old fashioned question "Are you okay?"

Thirteen smiled and replied "Yes, I'm just waiting for Eleven to come back"

'Huh? She knows right? Does she?' "B-b... You know that Eleven is... she's..."

Thirteen turned to him and asked: "She's what?"

"She... she's dead"

"What do you mean she's dead?"

"Well I went into the water and-"

"But the voice hasn't said anything about another Seeker being dead"