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Audio version of Jacklyn Taylor Stories
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Awakening of Darkness
Callen couldn’t sleep. His mind was consumed by the images left behind from the visions he experienced in the Hall of Souls. The memories of ancient guardians and their downfall weighed on him like a heavy burden. The night felt especially cold, and the waters around the city, usually warm and calm, had suddenly turned icy.
He stood by the large underwater window of his home, watching how the currents outside the city swirled erratically. They twisted and shifted as if an invisible hand was trying to disrupt their natural flow. Callen felt the change like a pain in his chest—an echo from the Ocean’s Heart, as if it were warning him of an impending danger.
Liriel entered the room, her shimmering tail reflecting the faint light of the coral lamps. “You feel it, don’t you?” she asked softly, her voice tinged with concern.
Callen turned to her. “Something is waking, Liriel. I can’t put it into words, but I know it’s dark and ancient, and it’s moving toward us.”
She nodded, stepping closer. “These cold currents… they haven’t been seen since times we no longer have records of. They’re coming from the Passage of Darkness.”
The Passage of Darkness
Callen frowned at the mention of the name. “The Passage of Darkness? I’ve read about it in the ancient texts, but no one ever told me it was a real place.”
Liriel sat beside him, her gaze distant, as if recalling something long forgotten. “It’s not just a place. It’s a region of the ocean where no light or warmth can penetrate. Even we, the merfolk, don’t venture near those waters. Legends say that within it lies an entity so ancient and powerful that its strength could destroy the entire ocean.”
Callen felt his heart sink. “Why is this entity stirring now?”
Liriel looked at him, her voice filled with gravity. “It could be because of you, Callen. The Ocean’s Heart is a powerful artifact. Its awakening may have disturbed something that was meant to remain asleep.”
The Council of Keepers
The next morning, Callen called an emergency meeting of the Council of Keepers. Gathered in the room were Liriel, Turaak, and several other representatives of the marine peoples, including the Shadows, who had become his allies. The atmosphere was tense, and every movement felt deliberate and weighted.
“We’re facing a new threat,” Callen began, looking at everyone gathered. His voice was firm, though laced with unease. “The Passage of Darkness is awakening. The cold currents and the disruptions in the balance are only the first signs. If we don’t stop this, the entire ocean will be in danger.”
Turaak, who had been silent until now, finally spoke in his deep, resonant voice. “The Passage of Darkness… I remember my ancestors speaking of it. They called it ‘The Heart of Shadows.’ If the entity there is truly awakening, we must act quickly. But how do you intend to stop it, Callen?”
Callen stood, his eyes burning with determination. “I must go there. I need to understand what’s causing this awakening and find a way to restore balance.”
Preparing for the Journey
The decision to journey into the Passage of Darkness wasn’t made lightly. Everyone understood the peril involved. Liriel insisted on accompanying Callen, and Turaak offered to join them, using his immense strength to protect the group.
Callen spent the hours before their departure poring over records that might provide clues about what awaited them. The texts spoke of an entity referred to as “The Dark Core”, a force capable of bending the ocean and its inhabitants to its will.
“If this entity truly exists,” Callen mused aloud, standing before a map of the ocean, “then I must use the Ocean’s Heart not to fight it, but to connect with it. I need to understand its motives.”
Liriel stepped closer. “You don’t have to do this alone. We’re with you. Even if this force is older than all of us, together we can find a way to face it.”
The Journey into the Depths
Their journey began at dawn. They moved toward the Passage of Darkness, and with every mile, the water grew colder and the light faded, replaced by deepening shadows. Even the bravest of their companions felt the weight of the journey.
Callen could feel the Ocean’s Heart glowing faintly, as if warning him of the unknown ahead. Around them, strange creatures began to appear—translucent fish, glowing jellyfish, and massive beings resembling ancient krakens.
“This place feels so… alien,” Liriel remarked, looking around. “There’s no sense of life here, only a heavy silence.”
Turaak responded, his voice echoing through the water: “This is not just a place. It’s the remnant of a force that existed before our time.”
Approaching the Passage of Darkness
As they reached the edge of the Passage of Darkness, the water around them became almost freezing. The darkness was so thick that even the light from the Ocean’s Heart seemed muted. Callen felt fear creeping into his soul, but he pushed it aside, focusing on his mission.
“We can’t turn back now,” he told his companions. “Whatever lies ahead, we must find a way to stop it, or everything we know will be destroyed.”
They pressed on, and soon a massive chasm in the ocean floor appeared before them. From it emanated a cold, pulsating light that seemed to match an unknown rhythm. Callen realized that this was the center of the Passage of Darkness.
Conclusion
This chapter of their journey was just beginning, but Callen knew that facing the Dark Core would be his greatest challenge yet. He felt that the answers to all his questions lay ahead, in the depths where darkness concealed the ocean’s most terrifying secrets.
