Descending below the water

With heavy steps, Nemo descended into the shallow underbelly of Atlantis. Given that the city was essentially a colossal floating heap of metal, the subway itself was a submarine-like vehicle that glided along submerged rails beneath the city.

Even at this early hour, others were already waiting on the platform. Nemo carefully avoided their gazes, his eyes fixed resolutely downward.

He seated himself on a bench, desperately ignoring the terrifying illusions flickering at the edges of his vision—the people around him constantly morphing from ordinary citizens into monstrous, nightmarish forms.

Deep within him, Nemo felt an unsettling awareness that taking the subway was a terrible idea. Yet the government office he had to reach seemed impossibly far away on foot... or did it? Every attempt to recall exactly where he had to go caused his thoughts to fray into confusion.

"Soon you will be free, soon…"

The seductive whispers crept into his mind once again, calming his anxiety and smoothing his tense features into a temporary state of eerie tranquility. He sat quietly, waiting for the subway, lulled by the sinister voices; his mind started to drift.

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Centuries ago, humanity was locked in intense and endless warfare, with nations across the globe engaged in bitter conflicts. During this turbulent era, an unprecedented cataclysm suddenly struck, shattering human civilization within a matter of years. The catastrophe triggered strange and powerful changes in people, causing many to awaken extraordinary but dangerous abilities.

These people became known as the tainted. Unfortunately, most individuals who awakened these powers quickly lost control, driven to madness or death by the overwhelming force of their newfound abilities. Animals and plants were also drastically transformed by the cataclysm.

Animals mutated into powerful and terrifying creatures, reminiscent of monsters from folklore. Plants became aggressive, rapidly spreading their twisted, lethal forms, overtaking entire cities, and making human survival nearly impossible.

Together, these mutated beasts and predatory plants devastated human territories, driving humanity to the very edge of extinction. Amid the chaos and despair, a small number of awakened individuals managed to survive their initial trials.

They mastered their volatile powers, becoming immensely powerful defenders capable of altering reality itself. With tremendous personal sacrifice, these exceptional individuals created fortified sanctuaries, small havens of relative safety amidst the widespread destruction.

However, these sanctuaries depended heavily on a steady supply of newly awakened people, who had little choice but to risk their lives protecting humanity's fragile existence. Nemo had always understood this harsh reality but never imagined he would personally become part of this grim cycle.

Now, Nemo found himself among these chosen few, destined to fight—and likely perish—in defense of Atlantis, one of humanity's final safe havens.

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The subway ascended, bubbling and hissing noisily from numerous valves as it docked at the station. For a moment, the sharp sounds tore through Nemo's consciousness, nearly shattering his strange, whispered calm.

Just as clarity threatened to pierce the haze enveloping his mind, the whispers flooded back, overwhelming any fleeting moments of lucidity.

Standing mechanically, Nemo joined the busy stream of passengers boarding the vehicle. Each figure around him shifted constantly, appearing monstrous, their forms threatening to engulf him entirely.

Nemo steadied his nerves, clinging desperately to the thought that beneath these monstrous visages were still ordinary people. Maybe.

The subway lurched forward with a rumble, doors sealing shut as pressurized air hissed out, allowing the submarine-like vehicle to plunge beneath the waves.

As soon as they submerged into the darkness beneath Atlantis, something unexpected happened—the whispers abruptly ceased, and the monstrous visions receded.

In that sudden quiet, Nemo's rational mind snapped sharply back into place, clarity washing painfully through his consciousness. His heart froze in terror at the realization of the catastrophic mistake he'd just made.

The most crucial rule for the newly rooted was simple yet absolute: never enter the waters around Atlantis. Just as the horrifying weight of his error settled over him, the subway shuddered violently, grinding to a sudden, ominous halt.

At first, there was only a profound, unsettling silence—the low hum of the subway and the rhythmic clinking of gears on rails echoing softly through the interior.

Soon, another sound intruded, subtle yet deeply disturbing: something enormous, unseen, swiftly gliding through the water, displacing the ocean around them.

An awful screech shattered the quiet, metal screaming against an immense, relentless force. Nemo's heart pounded furiously as lights flickered and passengers shouted in alarm.

The subway lurched violently, tipping sharply and tossing people around in a chaotic jumble of panicked screams and tangled limbs.

The subway's frame creaked painfully under immense strain until, with a deafening rupture, a section of the hull buckled inward slightly.

Cold seawater sprayed into the cabin, a thin but powerful stream that quickly began pooling at passengers' feet, adding urgency and panic to their shouts. Nemo's hands instinctively grasped the edge of a seat, holding firmly as the chaos erupted around him.

Through a ragged hole in the hull, Nemo glimpsed their attacker—an enormous, nightmarish sea creature. A mass of writhing tentacles coiled and twisted fiercely, studded with countless eyes that blinked independently, each fixated with predatory hunger.

Its limbs repeatedly slammed against the subway, creating thunderous impacts that rattled through the vehicle. Nemo's thoughts raced in desperation, rapidly assessing the depth, distance to safety, and likelihood of survival.

Yet he knew deep down these calculations were pointless. The pressure of the surrounding ocean was immense, crushing the subway like a tightening fist, ready to engulf them entirely.

A shadow passed over them, monstrous and all-consuming, extinguishing the dim emergency lights. An enormous eye, yellow-green and devoid of mercy, appeared through a window, gazing inward with dreadful intelligence.

The creature seemed to peer directly into their souls, a chilling, undeniable confirmation of their doomed fate.

Passengers huddled in fear, their cries muffled by the relentless flood of seawater. Metal groaned and bent inward, as if the ocean itself were allied with the creature, intent on dragging them into the abyss.

A strange, grim serenity overtook Nemo as he braced himself, accepting the inevitability of darkness and death.

Then, amidst the chaos and despair, Nemo heard the whispers return, softly beckoning him toward oblivion.