Book Two – Chapter 22
The Abyss Opens
The throne room fell silent.
The guard remained on one knee, struggling to catch his breath.
"The Abyss..." he repeated. "The seals have broken."
The Tide Empress closed her eyes.
For the first time since we had met her, her calm expression cracked.
"I prayed we still had more time."
She turned to us.
"Come with me."
Without another word, she swept from the throne room.
Her royal guards followed close behind.
---
We hurried through halls of glowing coral until we reached an enormous balcony overlooking the deepest trench in the ocean.
The sight stole my breath.
The once-clear water had turned almost black.
A massive whirlpool spun above a crack in the seabed.
From its depths rose streams of dark mist, spreading through the sea like ink
