Chapter 12: Shadows Beneath the Surface

The sea was calm, but Kai couldn't shake the feeling of being watched. The shards pulsed faintly in his pack — the first, Aether, a soft silver glow; the second, Tides, a vibrant, deep blue.

Elias steered the boat steadily, but even he seemed uneasy.

"You feel it too, don't you?" Kai asked.

Elias nodded. "There's something down there."

Jace had his feet up on the deck rail, munching on a protein bar like he wasn't worried. But his eyes betrayed him. They flicked toward the water every few seconds.

"So... what's next?" Jace asked, breaking the silence.

Kai unrolled the map again. The next shard was marked with the symbol of a mountain. It glowed faintly over the Himalayas.

"A long journey," Elias muttered. "We'll have to dock in India and then head overland."

Before Kai could respond, the boat suddenly lurched. The engine sputtered.

"What was that?" Jace jumped up, dropping his snack.

The water beneath them darkened. Bubbles rose to the surface — large, violent bubbles, as if something massive was stirring below.

Elias swore under his breath and grabbed the wheel. "Hold on!"

A massive tentacle broke the surface, slick and black, wrapping around the stern of the boat.

Jace's scream was cut off as he grabbed onto the railing. "You have got to be kidding me!"

The tentacle squeezed, crushing part of the deck with a loud crack.

Kai reached for his shards, feeling their power humming in his palms. "We have to fight back!"

Elias shouted, "It's a Leviathan! The Order must have awakened it to track the shards!"

Another tentacle lashed out, smashing the cabin roof.

Kai raised both shards, focusing. The power of Tides surged through him. He extended his arms, and the water beneath the boat responded, swirling rapidly. The beast roared, a deep guttural sound that vibrated through the hull.

"I need to see it!" Kai yelled.

Elias slammed the throttle, turning the boat hard. For a moment, the massive head of the Leviathan surfaced — eyes like molten gold, scales black as night, lined with glowing blue veins.

Kai felt its ancient hunger, a presence that had existed long before humans sailed these waters.

It was drawn to the shards.

The creature lunged.

Kai reacted instinctively, calling on the Tides shard. A massive wall of water rose, slamming into the Leviathan's face and pushing it back into the depths.

"That won't hold it for long!" Elias shouted.

Jace grabbed a harpoon gun from the storage hatch. "Not that I think this'll help, but I'm not sitting here doing nothing!"

Kai was already climbing to the bow. The Leviathan's tentacles rose again, and this time Kai used both shards together — Aether and Tides. Wind howled around him, churning the sea into a spiral.

He focused, shaping the currents and air pressure into a violent cyclone. The Leviathan shrieked, struck by the full force of nature's fury.

But it wasn't over.

The creature's body twisted, coiling around the boat. Scales scraped the hull, making the entire vessel groan.

"We're going to be crushed!" Jace shouted.

Elias tossed Kai a small orb. "Break it!"

Kai smashed the orb on the deck. A dome of shimmering light expanded around the boat, holding the beast at bay for a moment.

"We need to get out of here!" Elias yelled.

Kai nodded. "I can buy us time."

He closed his eyes, reaching deep into the shards' power. He visualized the Leviathan, felt its presence. He spoke softly.

"I am the bearer of balance. You will not claim me."

The water around them glowed. The Leviathan paused. Its eyes met Kai's, and for a heartbeat, there was understanding — or perhaps respect.

It released the boat.

Then, with a roar, it vanished beneath the waves.

Elias wasted no time. The boat surged forward, engines roaring.

Everyone sat in silence for a long while, the adrenaline slowly fading.

Jace finally broke the quiet. "Did... did you just talk to that thing?"

Kai nodded. "I think it listened."

Elias exhaled slowly. "You're stronger than I thought."

They sailed on until they reached the coast of southern India. Elias arranged for transport inland — a battered old Jeep and a local guide named Arjun, who spoke little English but had sharp eyes and knew the mountains well.

They drove for hours through twisting mountain roads, each turn revealing snow-capped peaks in the distance.

As night fell, they camped at the base of the range.

Around the fire, Elias explained the next trial.

"The Trial of Stone," he began, "tests willpower and resilience. It's not just about brute strength. The mountain will break those who lack inner resolve."

Jace shivered. "Great. I'm so full of resolve right now I could burst."

Kai chuckled.

At dawn, they began the ascent.

The air grew thin quickly. Each step felt heavier.

Arjun led the way, his movements sure and steady.

Hours passed in grueling silence. Kai's muscles burned, but he pushed on, thinking of his grandfather — the legacy he was now bound to.

Halfway up the mountain, the path narrowed to a sheer ledge. A gust of wind nearly knocked Jace over.

"This is insane!" Jace shouted over the howling wind.

Kai grabbed his hand, steadying him. "One step at a time."

Elias followed close behind.

They reached a plateau where ancient stone carvings decorated the rock walls — symbols of earth, strength, and eternity.

A stone archway stood ahead, pulsing faintly with energy.

Kai stepped through first.

The world shifted again.

He found himself alone in a vast stone chamber.

"The Trial of Stone begins," the voice echoed.

Massive stone guardians rose from the floor, their eyes glowing red.

Kai clenched his fists, shards glowing in his palms.

The first guardian lunged.

Kai dodged, rolling beneath its massive arm. He struck with a wave of force, but the stone barely cracked.

A second guardian attacked from behind.

Kai jumped high, using the Aether shard to propel himself upward. He landed on the guardian's shoulder and slammed his palm down, channeling tidal force into the crack he'd made earlier.

The guardian shattered.

But the others were closing in.

"You cannot break stone with force alone," the voice intoned.

Kai paused, breathing heavily. He closed his eyes, seeking another way.

Then it clicked.

Stone endures by standing firm — but it can also erode, given time and patience.

Kai shifted his approach. Instead of fighting head-on, he danced between the guardians, using water to seep into their joints, freezing it, expanding the cracks.

One by one, the guardians fell.

At the chamber's center, a massive stone obelisk stood. The shard was embedded at its peak.

Kai climbed slowly, each handhold testing his endurance. The obelisk pulsed with energy, trying to repel him.

But he pressed on.

At the top, he reached out and touched the shard.

A surge of power coursed through him, heavier than before.

He found himself back at the plateau.

Elias and Jace were there, wide-eyed.

"You were gone for hours," Elias said.

"For me, it felt like minutes," Kai replied.

He held up the Stone shard.

Three down.

They began the descent.

As they reached the base camp again, Arjun bowed low. "You are marked by the mountains now," he said softly.

Kai smiled. "Thank you."

That night, as they rested, Elias spoke quietly. "The next shard... will be the hardest."

Kai looked at the map.

The symbol of a gale glowed over the Sahara Desert.

Wind and sand — chaos and illusion.

But for now, they allowed themselves a moment of rest.

Above them, the stars shone brightly — silent witnesses to the legacy being forged.

But far across the world, in the shadows of ancient catacombs, the Order gathered.

The Leviathan had failed.

Now they would come themselves.

And they would show no mercy.