Chapter 6: The Journey to the Ghost City

The Ocean Grows Darker

The ocean ahead of them grew ever darker, as if trying to block their path. Callen, Liriel, and Turak moved through waters heavy with an inexplicable weight. The Heart of the Ocean, secured to Callen’s chest strap, emitted a soft blue glow, serving as a guiding light in this perilous journey.

First Steps into Uncharted Depths

“Do you feel it?” Liriel asked, her voice barely audible in the thick silence. “The water here feels alive. It seems heavier, as if something is hidden within its depths.”

Callen nodded, glancing around.

“Even the currents are different. They’re pulling us not forward, but downward. It’s like… a call.”

Turak, swimming alongside them, waved his tentacles slightly, creating a barrier against unexpected flows.

“We’re approaching places where the nature of the water changes. This isn’t just depth anymore. It’s a transition into another layer of the ocean.”

“A transition?” Callen repeated.

Turak nodded slowly.

“The layers of the ocean hide many things. The deeper we go, the more we cross the boundaries of time, where ancient forces still exist.”

Glowing Fish and Phantom Creatures

Along the way, rare glowing fish surrounded them. Their faint light cast patterns on the rocks and caves the team passed through. But the deeper they ventured, the stranger the behavior of these creatures became.

One of the fish, shimmering in shades of blue and green, swam close to Callen. He froze, feeling his mind fill with sudden understanding. The fish seemed to “speak” to him, not in words, but through thoughts.

“It’s afraid,” Callen said quietly, feeling his heart respond to the creature’s emotions. “Something happened here. It’s lost.”

Noticing his hesitation, Liriel swam closer.

“Callen, can you understand it?”

“Yes… It’s hard to explain. It doesn’t speak, but I can feel its fear. It’s showing me images: destroyed coral, cracks in the seafloor, and something moving in the darkness.”

“It’s the Heart of the Ocean,” Turak suggested. “It allows you to hear them. It’s a gift, but also a responsibility.”

Callen extended his hand cautiously, and the fish vanished into the water, leaving only a faint glimmer.

“If I can feel their fear, maybe I can help them,” he said, his voice filled with determination.

Encountering Lost Signs

Hours into their journey, the water around them turned almost pitch black, and the light of the Heart of the Ocean illuminated their way. They stumbled upon strange ruins—columns covered in ancient inscriptions and bas-reliefs. The entire area seemed submerged in silence, steeped in the presence of the past.

“This must be part of the ghost city,” Liriel said, examining the carved symbols. “They’re ancient. There are so many stories here, but I can’t understand them.”

Callen stepped closer, running his hand over one of the columns. The symbols seemed to respond to his touch. Suddenly, he felt a surge of energy and saw a vision: a city full of life, glowing with light, where inhabitants used the Heart of the Ocean to maintain balance. But then, the light turned to darkness. Walls collapsed, and the water consumed everything, leaving only ruins.

He staggered back, stunned.

“It’s the city. They used the Heart, like I do. But something went wrong. It destroyed them.”

Liriel grabbed his arm.

“You’re not like them, Callen. You have a choice. But we need to find out what happened.”

The Ancient Path

Turak used his massive tentacles to clear a pile of stones, revealing a passage ahead.

“If this is the ghost city, we’ll find it at the center of this region. But be careful. There are forces here that aren’t always kind.”

The path grew increasingly treacherous. The currents became chaotic, and the walls of the caves were covered in glowing markings that pulsed in sync with the Heart of the Ocean. Each step forward felt like a test, but the team pressed on.

Soon, they entered a vast chamber, half-filled with water. At its center stood a monument resembling what Callen had seen in his visions. This was the ghost city—its remnants lost in the ocean’s depths.

“We’re here,” Liriel whispered, her voice trembling with a mix of awe and fear.

Callen stared at the monument, feeling his heart race.

“Now we’ll find the truth.”