At my nod, he turns. “Get on my back.” I wrap my arms and legs around him. He peers over his shoulder at me and says, “No matter what, don’t let go and hold your breath.” Then he submerges us in the water.
With the exception of the white noise of the plunging waterfall, the world of blue is much quieter than ours.
What I suspected would be an enclosed cave in a shallow pool has an opening in the wall. A glow from beyond it shines into this enclosure, suggesting an entire other world awaits. The heavenly welcome tempts us to cross over.
Caleb swims with ease into the ethereal light, and I grip him tighter as we get closer. When we pass through, it’s like we’ve descended into a whole other universe—one where I don’t have to hold my breath.
Holy cow, I can breathe here.
Almost immediately, that fact is the least exciting thing about this place. The sight alone takes my breath away.
The small opening was incredibly deceiving—this is an oceanic underworld. A long-forgotten city contained within this mythical, watery realm.
Man couldn’t make such beauty.
Bioluminescent fuchsia, cerulean and amethyst jellyfish of all sizes swarm in a pod. Thousands of matching-colored crystal clusters in all sizes glow with a heartbeat on the sandy floor. Fish and other sea creatures weave in and out of them like a civilization that thrives off of its energy and orbit it like it’s their sun.
Caleb’s words echo in my mind, emphasizing his fear that something so beautiful could be destroyed. Maybe this place is his church. And if it is, does he worship it?
It? Or us?my wolf asks.
I’m hoping for the latter.
Caleb peers over his shoulder, smirking, likely wanting to capture the look on my face at my introduction to this phenomenon.
As if that weren’t enough, a colony of eels and other mystical fish drifts above us. Their ghostly, translucent bodies float without intent. They’re the most mesmerizing creatures to watch.
I have heard of this place. A magical ecosystem that thrives on remnants of earth’s magic seeping into the roots, needing nothing more to survive.
Like this place, I’m not meant to be understood. I exist because I deserve to belong—or at least to claim a peaceful existence. Despite what our realm can’t seem to grasp, belonging isn’t up to anyone else, but the self. It started and ended as the decision of a heavenly being higher than all of us.Shedecided. For everyone else, it’s only meant to be a feeling.
Caleb and I don’t belong down here, but the realm isn’t bothered by our presence. That isn’t to say something else might not feel differently but like the first arrow, I can’t control that. For the time being, I can only choose to not suffer by being present.
Below, flat rock paths glow, leading to a structure resembling the base of a castle tower. Rock is eroded on almost every side to form arched doorways.
Caleb swims us down, and we float above the stairs. When we enter, I look up. Crystals decorate the walls and translucent luminous fish circle the space, spiraling upward. Like a tower, they seem to travel for miles, creating a sort of surface resembling a ceiling. We join their swim, navigating through the center of their tunnel.
Panting, Caleb pulls me around his body to hold me to him with one arm, while the other treads water. He floats us over to the rock in the center of the pool. Once we both climb onto it, we roll onto our backs to stare up at the ceiling, catching our breath. Our chests heave up and down with every breath.
“Wow.”
Caleb pants. “Amazing, right?”
I can’t even form the words to describe the experience we just had. “Wow,” I say again.
Caleb lets out a breathy laugh.
I roll to my side, propping myself up onto my elbow. “I mean... the power in this place!”
He rolls onto his side as well, facing me. “I know. I feel it, too.”
My wolf shakes herself dry, then wags her tail.I think he’s talking about us!
I think so, too.
I think back to our earlier conversation. There’s so much left unsaid, much like all of our interactions.
“Caleb, this place doesn’t need your protection. It is powerful on its own.”
