As Long Fei stepped out of the ancient cave, the waters of the chasm rippled with an ancient resonance. Ling Yue's grin vanished as she listened to the whispers of the waves. Her gaze sharpened as she turned to him. "The King is summoning an ancient chant. We don't have much time."
Air bubbles escaped from his nose and the corner of his mouth. Her eyes widened.
Without hesitation, she rummaged through her mystical satchel and drew out a harpoon. A shield. A large box. He had sewn a hidden storage dimension into her satchel—she must have stored a lot inside.
His airways began to narrow, a crushing pressure blooming within his chest. Without control over the air, his lungs screamed for oxygen. Every breath was a battle.
He forced himself to maintain composure, even as discomfort gnawed beneath his skin. Pain wracked his body with every passing second. Movements became labored, his muscles straining under the weight of the depths.
He reached out instinctively, trying to draw air from the ocean that crowded in on him.
Nothing. No breeze answered. No familiar sensation stirred.
The tightness in his chest deepened. It was a bitter reminder that he was no longer the immortal who could summon storms with a flick of thought. He had once been a vessel of grace and power, but now his body felt foreign. The confidence that once surged through him like an unbending mountain to the wind had withered to the fragility of bamboo. He, who once commanded the skies, now struggled simply to breathe underwater.
The realization clawed at him.
He turned to Ling Yue, silently pleading that she'd find something—anything—to help. She searched frantically, her small hands disappearing into the enchanted satchel.
With one final pull, she produced an ornate, glowing amulet. "This will help you breathe underwater," she said, urgency sharpening her voice. "But only for a short while."
His hands slightly trembled as he took the amulet from her, his fingers brushing her hands, a silent apology. He quickly fastened the amulet around his neck. For the first time in ages, he felt an unfamiliar pang of dependence. He had always been the one others leaned on. But now, he leaned on her. His pride didn't stop him from accepting the help, but it felt unfamiliar. He needed more time to adjust.
The amulet was a temporary salvation, but it did not ease the crushing realization that he was no longer who he once was. The pressure on his lungs eased. Fresh air filled his lungs, a blessing in itself. He exhaled in relief and gave her a nod of gratitude, gently patting her head.
"Let's go," he murmured.
"Yes! It's morphing time." She grinned, her form shimmering before his eyes. He had seen her transform countless times, but this moment never failed to amaze him.
Her body rippled with power, expanding until she became a massive, majestic blue whale, her shadow darkening the waters.
The ocean churned violently as sea creatures scattered in a frenzy, knowing better than to remain in her path. Her tail sliced through the sea with effortless grace. The chasm trembled in reverence for her colossal form.
He swam onto her back, gripping her fin tightly as she surged forward, her speed unmatched. Her massive form parted the sea like a divine force. Fearsome creatures of all sizes, including notorious serpents and massive sea monsters, scattered in terror at the sight of her. They all knew better than to challenge the guardian of the sea.
As they rushed past the Merfolk town, the merfolks looked up in awe, their jaws agape. They had witnessed a rare sight—Ling Yue's majestic whale form casting a shadow over the town.
The palace gates came into view, and she slowed, her massive form shrinking. Her body twirled, compacting until she was once again a graceful, humanoid figure. Her long silver-blue hair swayed with the sea currents as she landed onto the palace grounds. Despite the urgency, watching her return to her humanoid form was captivating.
The palace guards, upon seeing Ling Yue approach, scrambled to get out of her way.
"Move it, or lose it!" she barked.
In a blur, she dashed forward, sending guards tumbling into the sand, disoriented. They scrambled to regain their footing, but none dared to challenge her.
Long Fei followed closely behind, propelled by a surge of inner energy. He could no longer control the wind as he once did. Though he retained his martial arts abilities, they were only a shadow of what he once wielded in his primordial form. His once graceful movements now felt clumsy.
His vision blurred, the ocean mocking his limitations. His body had turned sluggish, and every motion now required more effort than it ever should have. He longed for the air to answer his call, but the silence was suffocating. He barely avoided the tumbling guards. His body was stiff with the loss of his immortal powers.
"Really, Ling Yue?" he called out, dodging another guard who had landed directly in his path. "Must you always make a grand entrance?"
She smirked, her focus ahead. She was determined, pushing everything and everyone aside in her path. Guards immediately jumped aside at the sight of her.
As they neared the throne room, a chill in the water made Long Fei shiver. The light dimmed, and even the coral walls held their breath. Ling Yue slowed, drawing closer to him, her sharp gaze scanning the heavy silence that had settled. The pressure thickened with every step. She paused, then turned to him and placed a finger on her lips.
The very foundations of the palace hummed with an ominous force, and he felt a growing sense of dread emanating from inside the throne room. Her eyes darted to the door. Every sound from within echoed louder, amplifying the dread seeping into his bones.
A faint crackling noise filtered through the cracks in the ornate door. It wasn't just the sound of magic but far darker, like the buzz of an electric charge just before a storm breaks. His eyes narrowed as the sound grew, bracing for a violent eruption.
Faint sobs slipped out through the narrowest of gaps. They were soft, broken, and filled with grief, distinctly familiar and deeply unsettling.
Long Fei's pulse quickened. The sobs were unmistakable: The princess. His heart skipped a beat, his body tensing as the muffled sobs grew louder, like the desperate sobs of someone being tortured. They echoed through the door with an undeniable despair.
His hands clenched at his sides, helplessness gnawed at him. The crackling intensified, like a storm about to break. A cold sweat ran down his spine. The oppressive force pressed against him. He wished he could give the Sacred Pearl to the princess. Whatever ruse the King had spun, it may have been too convincing and terrible.
Ling Yue's brow tightened, her eyes narrowing with unspoken concern. She crouched beside him, her ears pressed against the door. A strong aura of dark magic leaked through the cracks.
"We can't interrupt the King at the moment," she whispered. Her voice was barely audible over the crackling, now sharpened to a jagged noise from within the throne room.
The door began to splinter.
Ling Yue shuddered. "It would be catastrophic."