Tempest Bound: The Fisherman's Lure

Chapter 19: The Great Divide

As if they were leaving the known waters and into a planet free of light, the sea around them felt colder, darker. The weight of the depths weighed against Seraphine; every pulse of her mark acted as a reminder of the course she had chosen—one that was guiding her farther into mystery, maybe even danger. As they approached the Abyssal Divide, a massive hole that appeared to split the ocean in half, her heart sped with a mixture of wonder and terror.

Rowan and Amara swam by her silently and cautiously; their appearances were unintelligutable. But something had changed; a tension that seemed to be hanging to the water around them, as though the ocean itself sensed the uncertainty churning between them, had dropped over them. Seraphine's thinking went back to the hours they had spent together, the trust they had developed, but now as they approached the Divide uncertainty began to leak into her head.

Amara stared at her, her gaze icy and exact, a little smile flashing at the borders of her mouth. "The Abyssal Divide," she replied, her voice low but resonant. "This is where all secrets are buried, where loyalty is tested, where only the toughest connections can survive. Even the most strong hearts can be changed by the Crown's appeal.

Seraphine scowled, weighing Amara's remarks. Her voice strong but slightly cautious, she asked, "What are you implying?"

Amara's smile dimming turned her eye to Rowan. "I'm merely saying, Seraphine, loyalty is a frail idea. Particularly considering something as solid as the Coral Crown. Not everyone can fight its draw.

Rowan's eyes darkened, his head fixed ahead, but across his face a flutter of something unintelligible flashed. He dismissed her, neglected to defend himself, and Seraphine started to doubt herself. She wanted to believe in him, in the commitments they had offered, but Amara's words stuck with her and planted a doubt she could not shake.

You think Rowan would turn on me? Her voice was barely a whisper as she asked.

Amara leaned forward, her eyes softening to meet Seraphine. "I assume Rowan pursues the road he feels to be right and the will of the water. But the Crown veers off that route and blurs loyalty with ambition. She came to stop; her voice grew quieter. "I just want you to use care. The attraction of the Crown increases greater as we journey; it will also demand more from those who pursue it.

Examining Rowan, Seraphine looked for any flutter of uncertainty or dishonesty on his face. Still, his eyes focused forward and his appearance was cool, determined. She wanted to believe in the bond they had formed, to trust him, but the uncertainty bit her like a quiet voice getting louder every minute.

As the water grew colder and the shadows dropped farther—like dark tendrils approaching the edge of the Abyssal Divide—their distance changed. One could sense the grandeur of the trench below, an infinite gap seemingly calling Seraphine farther into the future.

Finally Rowan spoke, his voice calm but somewhat nervous. The Divide... it is not merely a trench. This is the spot where individuals who seek the mysteries of the ocean must prove themselves as the will of the water is strongest here. The real trip begins right here.

Amara stared at him, her sharpened eyes "And Rowan, Are you ready?" Ready to show your loyalty not only to the water but also to Seraphine, confronting whatever is inside?

Rowan's eye locked silently with Amara and his jaw stiffened. "Amara, I come here voluntarily. Not with the will of the ocean or the appeal of the Crown, but with Seraphine and her voyage, my allegiance resides.

Amara's smile, though, was weak and nearly pitying. "Loyalties change in the depths," she said softly. "Be cautious, Seraphine." Once trust dissolves, it is tough to rebuild as it is delicate.

The weight of Amara's words hurt Seraphine's heart; the silence warning seemed to resound across the lake around them. She wanted to ignore it, think the link she had with Rowan was strong enough to go through anything. Still, the uncertainty hung over the road they had started together like a shadow.

Before them loomed the edge of the Abyssal Divide, a great, never-ending drop into the dark below. As Seraphine stared down into the depths, the unknown stretched out before her like a promise, like a menace, her pulse quickened, a thrills of both fear and excitement.

Rowan swam in front of her, silently supporting her with a brush of his palm. "We're here, Seraphine." Whatever is ahead we will tackle it together.

She nodded, the coziness of his touch a solace among the frigidity of her heart. She wanted to believe him, to hope that their relationship would be sufficient to get them across the road into the Divide. But Amara's words stayed, a subdued murmur filling her head as they got ready to fall.

"Are you game?" Rowan inquired, his voice firm but his eyes flicked with alarm.

Seraphine caught his eye, her will strong even if the uncertainty still simmered under the surface. "Yes," she said, her voice stronger than she felt. Let's start now.

Together, they floated at the brink of the Abyssal Divide, the blackness yawning out before them like a great, never-ending sink. Breathing deeply, Seraphine felt her heart thumping as she was ready to start down the unknown.

But the silence around them appeared to change as they started down, a faint murmur rising through the water getting louder with every instant. She could identify this sound, one that made her both excited and terrified.

The sea observed.

Seraphine steeled herself, her resolve unflinching as they sank beneath the depths, bidding the surface world behind behind. One last glance at Rowan. The road into the Abyssal Divide had started, and with it the real test of devotion, of will, of confidence.

The light above vanished as they sank into the trench, replaced by a total darkness that seemed to engulf them whole. The mark of Seraphine shone weakly, a lighthouse in the depths lighting the water around them.

Still, they were not alone.

Strange animals floated across the lake, their bodies twisted and ancient, eyes shining with an intelligence that shivered down Seraphine's spine. She sensed the weight of their stare, a tacit assessment of her value meant to try her will.

Ahead a great shadow loomed, a beast so large it seemed to merge with the darkness itself. Her heart beating, Seraphine's pulse sped as she identified the figure—the kraken, an ancient entity guarding the Divide, a creature she had not yet imagined testing her in.

Rowan and Amara by her side, Seraphine sharpened herself ready for the difficulties ahead. The real trip to discover the secrets of the water had started along with the plunge into darkness.