Hadalborn Hunt

The doors closed behind her.

No one moved and no one spoke.

Maor raised a hand, and a thin layer spread across the chamber walls — a spell to keep sound from leaking out.

"Veil's up," he said.

Finally, someone exhaled.

"All four marks," said Daron. "You saw it."

"Could be fake," Pireh muttered.

"It wasn't. You felt it too."

"She shouldn't exist," Nirei added. "That bloodline of Niraya was erased by the Leviathan King himself."

Pireh leaned back. "So? What now? Inform the Tidefather through a guardian, or stay quiet until he speaks?"

"That's what he'd want us to do," Maor said. "But are we sure that's still a good idea?"

Silence.

"The signs match the old records," Nirei muttered. "Four sigils... We've never seen them all together. Even the ancient ones had two — maybe three. But her…"

Pireh rolled his eyes. "You actually believe that? Doesn't mean she's the answer to our problems. Could just be another hybrid fluke."

"If the Leviathan King finds out she's alive, he'll come for her. You remember what happened last time we found a Niraya elf near the borders."

"Of course I do."

Daron folded his arms. "We've had no contact with the divine realm in decades. Guardians barely descend anymore — unless it's bad chaos or they've got something critical to relay."

Maor's expression darkened. "Then we wait and watch. If she really has all four powers, maybe she's our last shot. But if she turns out to be another threat... we deal with it before he shows up and tears this place apart."

The veil dropped.

But the room stayed tense.

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We had to swim all the way back. No escort. No magic ride. Just a snide look from the guards and a clear message — find your own way and the door swinging shut behind us.

I thought Kaelen would snap, but he didn't. I was tired from swimming. My legs ached, lungs burned, and we were still a long way from the inn.

Kaelen muttered, "One second they're staring like you're the Sea's lost heir, next second they ditch us."

"Maybe they're scared of me," I said.

He didn't laugh.

Kaelen slowed. "Something's wrong."

"What do you mean?"

"Something's off. It's way too quiet."

I looked around. There wasn't a soul in sight. No travellers. No patrols. Just open sea and that weird feeling in my gut like something was watching.

Something was wrong with the water ahead — cloudy, darker than before when we first passed for the court. The current had that still, heavy feeling, like the ocean was holding its breath.

Kaelen stopped so fast I almost slammed into him.

"Don't move," he whispered.

I didn't.

Blood floated past us.

Not just a little. It was a smear — long, red, and thick. My insides twisted.

Then something massive drifted through the mist.

Black.

Bulky.

Covered in scars that didn't look like scars — they looked like something had stitched this thing together from pieces. Its skin was cracked, like burnt leather stretched over bone, and glowing red veins throbbed all over its body. A chunk of flesh hung from its jagged jaw like it had just eaten… and didn't bother to finish chewing.

It wasn't swimming.

It lumbered through the water like it didn't care what direction it was going — just that it was hunting.

I saw a body — a sea guard. Torn in half. One arm floated, completely detached from the rest.

Kaelen whispered something, but I didn't hear it. I couldn't stop staring.

Then another creature came into view.

Smaller, but just as deformed. Its mouth was cranked open sideways, revealing rows of jagged teeth and something moving inside — like tendrils, or tongues.

Kaelen pulled me hard. "They are Hadalborn. We need to move."

We swam faster, trying not to make noise or attract their attention. I couldn't breathe from fear and moving too fast. The red in the water wasn't fading — it was spreading more and more.

One of the creatures made a noise.

It sounded like someone choking on blood and trying to laugh.

Then something screeched in the distance. Not a creature — a person.

And I sensed someone was still alive out there.

Kaelen didn't slow down.

Neither did I.

Kaelen yanked me behind a broken pillar sticking out of the reef. We crouched low. I gripped the edge with both hands, trying not to shake.

Another scream cut through the water. Closer.

I didn't want to look but looked anyway.

There were more of them now — three, maybe four. The biggest Hadalborn was circling a blood trail, its tail slicing through the water like a blade. Another was gnawing on something — or someone.

Then I saw her. A woman. Or what was left of her.

Half her face. A hand. Ribbons of what maybe used to be armour.

My stomach lurched, bile rising in my throat. I turned away and pressed my forehead to the stone.

Kaelen leaned closer. "We're not equipped to fight this. Stay low. If they see us—"

A burst of orange light exploded from above — not like fire, more like molten threads twisted through the sea. A spear of water, sharpened and burning at the tip, tore through one of the creatures, pinning it to the reef wall with a crack.

Then a blast tore through the water.

It was blue — like a bolt of lightning wrapped in a compressed ocean. The other monstrous creature jerked, its body cracking sideways before it slammed into the seabed, and clouds of black silt and char floated through the water, curling like smoke.

Someone dropped from the upper current — lean and fast.

Not a blur. Not magic-smoke.

Just him.

Black hair. Short, neat and flowing in the water, wearing scaled armour. His fin was blue, like deep current water, with bright orange veins on the tail like living runes.

Another man swam in beside him, casting a net of crackling blue energy that locked around a third beast. The creature shrieked, its body convulsing as it was pulled down — and then silenced.

The man with the runes didn't stop. He darted forward, fingers glowing with raw magic. He struck the last Hadalborn directly in the face, and an explosion of steam and pressure ruptured the creature from the inside out.

Black blood clouded everything. Bits of meat floated. I gagged and grabbed onto Kaelen.

"Keep your head down!" he shouted toward us. "Guard them!"

Two of his soldiers broke formation and swam to us, weapons drawn. One blocked our front, the other flanked left. They didn't ask questions. Just watched the fight and waited for anything that got too close.

Another Hadalborn roared — and this one was huge.

The merman with runes on his tail turned just in time. He raised his arm and a wall of water crashed forward, slamming into the creature's side. It staggered, shrieked, and lashed out, its jagged tail catching one of the guards across the chest.

The guard spun — blood blooming in the water — but he held on, jabbing a spear into the beast's eye.

He didn't slow down. He moved like he'd done this a hundred times or maybe he had.

He stabbed upward — into the creature's jaw — then dragged the blade out sideways, ripping it open with brute force.

More black blood clouded the sea.

The guards near me didn't flinch. Kaelen didn't either.

I couldn't stop staring.

He was… terrifying.

When the last Hadalborn collapsed — torn, and leaking darkness — he finally turned to us.

"You alright?" he asked.

I nodded and couldn't speak.

His eyes scanned me, then Kaelen, then the guards. "Escort them to the safe quarter near the ruins. Don't leave their side."

"Yes, sir."

Kaelen stepped forward. "Why were those things this close to the inner reef?"

He didn't answer right away. His eyes went distant.

"They're not roaming anymore," he said. "They're hunting."

He turned before we could ask more and swam off — vanishing into the dark like he was never there.

✧𓂃⋆༶⋆𓂃✧✧𓂃⋆༶⋆𓂃✧✧𓂃⋆༶⋆𓂃✧