It’s not surprising that this ocean is full of unfamiliar beasts, given the cruelty of the creators of Loop Run. My many seasons in this game have taught me that they’ve plundered hundreds of planets, stealing any form of life they can to place as obstacles in this game for their own amusement. It disgusts me to think of how many planets they’ve ravaged, how many ecosystems they’ve disrupted…

But I have a nagging feeling, a fear that they may have stolen something even more precious from my own home world. If they’ve taken what I think they have, it will be a crime beyond measure.

I swim deeper, scanning the murky depths for the creature I seek. The pressure of the water increases, but it doesn’t bother me in the slightest. I was born for this, my body perfectly adapted to withstand the crushing depths of the ocean.

As I descend further into the abyss, I spot something truly massive moving in the distance, an ominous shape that sends a chill across my scales. It’s hard to make out at first, obscured by the swirling silt and debris, but as I draw closer, my heart sinks like a stone.

It’s exactly what I feared—a Storm Brewer, one of the most sacred creatures in Mythos. The colossal beast undulates through the water with an almost hypnotic grace, its translucent bell pulsing with an otherworldly glow that pierces the gloom. Trailing beneath the shimmering dome are long tendrils that twist and curl like the arms of a galactic spiral, each one rippling with untold power.

Storm Brewers are so unimaginably massive that they can churn the very ocean itself, whipping not just the water into a frenzy, but even the clouds above with their might.

They’re worshipped by my people, seen as a divine sign of the gods’ favor. To find one here, so far from home, stolen from its rightful place in our seas and forced to swim these unfamiliar waters against its will… It is an atrocity that makes my blood boil with barely contained rage.

This Storm Brewer in particular is the largest specimen I’ve ever seen. The beast has clearly thrived in this alien environment, its growth unhindered without the natural predators and rivals of Mythos to keep its size in check. For a moment, I can only stare at it in awe.

That is when the immense Storm Brewer fixes its eyes upon me, and in an instant, its mantle flares open to reveal rows of barbed, hollow spines. Before I can even react, it shoots a dart from one of those deadly spines with lightning speed, the lethal projectile streaking through the water straight toward me. I barely manage to twist my body to the side in time, the dart grazing my shoulder as it narrowly misses impaling me through the heart.

Despite it hardly scratching me, I can already feel the numbing effects of the toxin starting to take hold, spreading from the wound. My vision blurs and my muscles weaken. I know I only have precious minutes before the paralytic poison renders me completely helpless.

No.

I have to get back to Mia before…

Gritting my teeth against the creeping numbness, I turn and swim for the island. It’s a blur, but I manage to get there just as the dart’s effects are taking hold, making my limbs feel impossibly heavy with each passing second. I drag myself over the rocks, desperate to reach the safety of our shelter.

A warm calm comes over me when I spot Mia’s silhouette at the cave entrance. She rushes to me, her small hands gripping my arms as she helps pull me inside. I give her a weak smile, gazing up at her beautiful face.

“Krakenos,” she whispers as her hands cup my cheeks. “You’re hurt! Oh God…”

“Don’t worry,” I murmur, fighting to get the words out even as darkness encroaches on the edges of my vision. “I’ll never leave you. No matter what, I’ll never…”

But that is all I can get out.

The last thing I see is the glimmer of tears in Mia’s eyes before the world fades away and I succumb to unconsciousness.

I awaken slowly, finding myself back in the dimly lit cavern. My body feels as heavy as if I were sinking to the ocean’s depths, but a warmth buoys me, a beacon drawing me back to the surface.

Mia.

Her face, illuminated by a soft radiance, is framed by her dark curls. Her eyes shine with an otherworldly light as they study me with concern, her hands hovering over my chest as if she fears causing me more pain.

But when our gazes lock, she surges forward and pulls me into an embrace. Her touch is like an electric shock, jolting me back to life. I flex my fingers, feeling the strength returning to my limbs as my arms wrap around her of their own accord, pulling her close, needing to feel her against me.

“You’re okay,” she murmurs, her breath warm on my neck.

I bury my face in her hair, inhaling her sweet scent. “I am unharmed,” I assure her, my voice a deep rumble, more from the growing desire coursing through me than any lingering effects of the poison. I can feel my body’s natural resilience taking over, the tingling sensation fading, leaving me with a different sort of awareness.

One that has my body reacting in ways I hadn’t expected.

I shift, unable to hide my restlessness as a surge of arousal throbs through me. It’s been ages since I’ve felt such a need, and never so intensely. Usually I can keep my desires in check, hidden beneath an unreadable expression. But in this moment, with Mia so close and her touch sending jolts of pleasure through me, my control slips.

I observe the way she looks over my form, taking in the subtle changes as my body betrays my attraction. My scales, usually lying flat and smooth, now stand slightly erect, a ridge along my shoulders and chest that I can’t conceal, no matter how much I try to maintain my stoic facade.

The ridges along an Aquarian’s body are usually a sign of agitation or a warning, a means to intimidate foes or assert dominance.

But in this instance, they’re raised out of attraction.

I watch her eyes travel down my body as she follows the expanding ridges, which continue their path down my chest—and further still.

A low hiss escapes my lips as I feel the ridges reach my groin, and my body betrays my mounting need. I can no longer hide my desire for her as my slit begins to part, revealing a hint of what lies beneath. My cock stirs, eager to be released, but I hold back, unwilling to expose myself fully just yet.

I wait, unsure of what Mia will make of this display. Her breath quickens, but whether from fear or desire, I can’t tell. I am usually one to hide my emotions, but with her, I can’t—I won’t—conceal the depth of my desire.

She should know what she does to me.

And as Mia leans closer, her warm breath tickling my lips, I sense her hesitation, the uncertainty that has kept her at bay—until now.

Her hands, once tentative as they explored my chest, now move with purpose, tracing patterns on my skin before wandering lower.

Every nerve in my body ignites as Mia’s fingers trace a delicate path along my skin, her touch light and tentative against my scales. I am powerless to control the reaction she elicits from me. My need for her is all-encompassing, a force that surprises me with its intensity.

Mia hesitates, her eyes darting up to meet mine, a silent question in their warm depths. But before I can assure her, before I can give voice to the words swirling in my mind, she surges forward, closing the distance between us. Her lips crush against mine, demanding and insistent.

There is no pretense, no holding back—only unfiltered desire. And I, the supposed conqueror, am conquered.

Her hands explore my body with a newfound boldness, her touch making me shiver. I tighten my hold on her, my hands tangling in her hair as I draw her closer.

I taste her eagerness, her mouth opening for me, our tongues entwining in a ritual that feels as ancient as the oceans of my homeland. A low growl begins in my throat, a sound of pure, primal need. I want to mark her with my seed, to claim what is rightfully mine.

But I restrain this urge, and with a gentle hand, I guide her downward, encouraging her to continue her exploration. I want her to know every inch of me, to explore the map of my body with her hands, her lips, her touch. I want to be hers, just as I crave for her to be mine.

But will she be intimidated when she sees me—all of me?

Chapter 12

Mia

I didn’t realize how scared I’d been to lose Krakenos. But when he finally awoke, something inside me shifted. I felt this sudden rush of relief, and then… desire.

Pure, raw desire.

I couldn’t help myself. I reached out and touched his face, his shoulders, his chest. I wanted to feel him, to know he was really there, solid and alive and mine.

It was like I’d been holding my breath, and now I can finally exhale. I want to be closer to him, to connect in a way that transcends words. Something about him draws me in, and I can’t stop myself from touching him, exploring his body with my hands, my eyes, my lips.