Before I can ask, she explains.
“The castle is hidden in plain sight. Only a trained mercher with the Kolox mark can hit that target. Only then does the castle appear. It separates the everyday city from the royal warriors and the court.”
“They think really highly of themselves, huh?” Alessio cuts in, echoing my exact thought.
But Onyx actually shakes her head. “It’s because our bloodline is tasked with keeping the Beast of the Depth locked away. It’s for the safety of the ocean—and everyone in it.”
Her gaze drops to the silver sand below.
The Beast of the Depth… I promised her I’d help solve that, but I have no idea how. Still, I need to learn more… and to do that, I have to play the political game, as usual.
"Alessio," I call, but before I can finish, he nods.
"I know. I’m following your lead."
For once, he surprises me and actually gives me a flicker of confidence—he knows the plan.
They need something from us. We’re here to give it. I just need to find a way to leverage that for Onyx, too.
Another guard approaches from behind, carrying a waterbow. He passes it to the commander with a slight bow, then slips away silently, not even sparing us a glance.
They’re stricter than death rites. I have to match it.
The commander doesn’t move from the spot where he first stopped. Instead, he stretches the bow and aims high at the target. From this angle, it seems impossible; he’s too close and far too low.
But he shoots. Clean. Sharp. He doesn’t pause to calculate. The arrow slices through the water like a lightning bolt, straight through the target’s center—then vanishes.
Silence collapses around us, so heavy it makes the gentle currents sound deafening.
Then I realize: the water is actually getting louder. Stronger.
I glance quickly at Onyx. She’s not surprised. She doesn’t even flinch—just hovers calmly beside me, eyes steady.
She knows this. She’s familiar with it. It’s not a threat.
"Myko, tell Bay not to move. It’s not a threat… I think."
"Alessio," I call again. When I glance back, he’s frantically scanning for exits like a trapped fish.
"It’s okay. Don’t move."
He doesn’t answer, but at least he stops. The water thickens between us, turning Bay into a blurry shape, and the guards are only faint silhouettes at the edge of the chaos now.
Weirdly, it feels wild but not violent. Like an illusion meant to frighten, not harm.
Then, as fast as it started, it stops.
I blink, open my eyes fully—and there it is.
A towering silver castle rises from where there was only emptiness. At its sharp, spiked roofs, massive arrows stand watch, black-tipped and glowing faintly white, like underwater lanterns burning away the dark.
"It’s the first time I see you left with no words," Onyx chuckles.
I ignore her, swimming forward to get a better view. Behind the castle, an even taller structure looms—a black chamber, twisted into unpredictable shapes. From where I hover, I can’t see it completely, but deep red cracks pulse along its sides like an active volcano ready to explode.
The glow pulses.
"The King and Queen await. Keep the banished close to you," the commander calls, reminding me why we’re here—like I could possibly forget.
