Page 107 of Claimed By the Depths

“As adorable as you are,” Parran started, their cadence sharp, “there is sadly not enough time for admiration. We are running on borrowed minutes and, at this very moment, every second counts.” Cornflower stare still settled on the former prince, they added, “Are you familiar with the location of this potential Vault?”

Blinking a handful of times, Kael shook his head. “Sorry, I… Y-Yes. I have a general idea.”

“Great.” I locked eyes with Leilani, and she dipped her chin to answer my unspoken question. Letting out a sigh, I turned toward Parran, Kael, and Syoran. “As has been stated⁠—”

Tap.

It was faint, like a pin drop, but sharp enough to sound intentional. Not a single scrape or skitter followed, making it unlikely to belong to one of King Marellan’s pets. Or, even worse, an Other.

“What the fuck was that?” Syoran questioned, his palm settling against the pommel of his sword. “I’m not crazy, right? You guys heard that?”

Nodding, I lifted a finger to silence the rest of the group. With my breath light, I began to count.

One. Two. Three…

Tap.

Carrying through the abandoned corridor like a metronome, it bounced between the columns. Its pace remained consistent, steady in a way that suggested that whatever the noise belonged to was moving. Not across the floor…

Above us.

I craned my head back, peering up at the abyssal canopy that hung over us. Shadows hugged every corner, painting the ceiling with an unfathomable depth. Not an ounce of light penetrated its thickness, making it nearly impossible to see whatever lurked beyond, stalking our every move with an intelligence that made me uneasy.

Lowering my hand, my movement stalled as I caught the flick of a whip-like tail. Its end was shaped like a lengthened petal, descending to a sharpened point that gleamed with lethal promise. Slightly different from the other insectoid creatures we’d faced, there was still that overlapping armor, a shell that provided a protective barrier over its sensitivities.

“The ones you remember are called Krythid, creatures that can implant their victims with larvae and whose venom is lethal upon injection,” Jaskor stated down our connection, his voice carrying a more potent edge of authority. “This one, however, harbors far more sentience. Just like the Vel’kharum outside.”

“Is that what it’s called?” I asked, fingers closing around the chilled pommel of my sword.

“Yes,” Jaskor answered without pause. “They’re dangerous in their own way, but you must remain wary here. There is a reason there are hardly any monstrosities from the Other Realm lurking in these halls. Wield your weapon with precision and do not falter. For one misstep may become the very reason you fall.”

“I thought you were confident⁠—”

My prodding into his decisions that thrust me into confinement ceased, power searing through my veins as if it remembered me. Agony and ecstasy became indistinguishable as the ancient presence of my father awakened within the deepest pits of my soul. My blood no longer felt like blood. It became liquid potential, coursing through my body with the weight of forgotten ages. Everything else around me slowed, and the shadowed corridor stilled, the dust clinging to the stale air stopping on its own.

No, not on its own, for I had commanded it.

Beneath the billowing silence, I sensed invisible threads woven through every living thing, choice, and future. Beyond, countless paths of fate branched infinitely. They bent toward my will and buckled to my command. Pieces of my humanity loosened their grip with the realization—fate was no longer an untouchable force. Instead, it lay before me as a moldable tapestry awaiting the gentle command of my fingers.

“W-What the hell?” I whispered, my mind fumbling to keep up with the mysticism of my existence.

“Do not act so surprised. You have wielded my abilities before, fragments of them.” A towering presence bloomed as an outline, walking with casual elegance through the darkness. The notable drape of robes slid across the stone, dusting each cobble upon the figure's approach—Jaskor. “Let this be a display of the surface of your potential, as your reign will far surpass mine. It is time you learned to trust yourself, for you can lean on me for aid and guidance, but only you can become a master of your own mind. Strategy and leading with logic are your greatest assets, and only when you release that doubt will you become an unstoppable force.”

Just as soon as the mirage had manifested, it vanished, the squelch of wet tissue drawing me back to reality. It was slow and deliberate, as though slabs of raw flesh were peeling themselves free from a frigid surface. It echoed off the pillars, another scrape following as it shifted overhead.

With its impending approach, I loosened my hold and tuned my focus solely on the looming creature. Immediately, breaths hitched around me, and Syoran spun in my direction, his brows drawn together in pointed accusation. “Could you stop fucking with⁠—”

Before I could silence him, something enormous released its grip on the ceiling and fell like an executioner’s blade.

Crimson muscle and blackened spines erupted from the shadows, its massive frame unfurling midair with terrifying grace. Elongated claws spread wide as though they had already chosen where they would sink, while sinewy limbs twisted around one another. Behind them, powerful hind legs ended in polished black hoofs that cut through the tension like a battering ram, driving the monstrosity downward with devastating force. Its tail snapped, scattering fragments of stone and various debris as its cavernous maw peeled open, revealing row upon row of jagged teeth.

The force of its landing became the lever of its attack as it hurled itself forward in the same breath. One claw carved through the air toward my throat while another reached for my chest. Ducking beneath its attack, I found my sharpened dagger and ripped it free, slashing through both of its arms with little challenge.

It reared back, its shriek sharp enough to rattle the surrounding walls. Broken chunks tumbled from the structural pillars and landed with sickening cracks. Dust erupted, blanketing the hallway in a thick cloud as I pulled the collar of my linen up to cover my nose and mouth. Breathing in, my golden gaze narrowed on the beast as its eyeless face settled inches from mine.

Pincers twitched above and below its skull as it spoke with guttural depth. “Alastair Seridean, the Son of Jaskor the Mastermind and the Coin that Spins. Tell me, boy, do you feel you are just as impenetrable as your father? Mind, body, heart, and soul?”

My jaw tightened, and I directed my command at the four others awaiting me. “Get the fuck out of⁠—!”