Then the world screamed.
Not just a sound, but a vibration deep in the bones. A resonance that made the air itself tremble.
Everything stopped.
The wind died. The waves stilled. And the sea split.
Far on the horizon, the ocean tore open like a wound.
A rift gaped in the distance, wide and deep, swallowing the sea into itself. Water poured down into darkness, vanishing into a void that should not exist.
From within the gap, darkness rose like smoke, curling and stretching toward the sky.
"The Hungering Deep." Ren whispered.
His voice barely carried, but it was enough. Every Tidecaller knew what he was talking about.
Their gazes locked on the impossibility before them, showing them the very evil they've been trying to ignore.
Then, the tide began to pull.
Water beneath the ship shifted, and ever so slowly, the entire ocean began to recede toward the monstrous maw.
"We need to move!" Lilith said sharply, her tone leaving no room for argument.
