When I finally wake up, the first thing I notice is the comforting weight of Krakenos’s strong arms around me. For a fleeting moment, I allow myself to indulge in the fantasy of staying here forever, hidden away from the cruel realities of the world.
But as much as I long to lose myself in this blissful reprieve, the sobering truth of our situation inevitably creeps back in.
We need to keep moving.
With a heavy sigh, I gently pull myself from his embrace and sit up, the chill of the cave’s damp air raising goosebumps on my exposed skin.
Sensing my movement, Krakenos rises up, then he hands me my clothes, his eyes never leaving me, as if he’s trying to memorize every detail of my body. I turn away and quickly clean up and dress with trembling fingers.
I swallow past the lump in my throat, gathering the tattered remnants of my courage. “We should get going,” I manage, my voice sounding small and uncertain even to my own ears. “We’re not at the finish line yet, and—”
I stop, and with a heavy sigh, I turn away from Krakenos. I’ve watched enough reality TV to know that these sadistic showrunners always have one last trick up their sleeves, one final twist designed to keep the audience on the edge of their seats and the contestants scrambling for survival.
Still, I refuse to let this challenge break me, to let it shatter the hope that Krakenos and I have fought so hard to keep alive.
The game may not be over yet, but I’m not letting the Host have the last laugh. “Let’s go,” I say, ready to face the cold again.
Krakenos nods. “As my queen commands.”
Chapter 15
Krakenos
As we step out of the cave, the frigid wind nips at our exposed skin, a harsh contrast to the fervent heat I shared with Mia within the cave’s embrace.
The vast tundra unfolds before us, an expanse of pristine white, interrupted only by the sporadic, craggy protrusions of rock. The silence is all-consuming, the crunch of our footfalls the sole disturbance in this frozen realm.
As we forge ahead through the deep snow, a pervasive sense of unease takes hold of me. The eerie tranquility feels unnatural, as though the very atmosphere is holding its breath. I survey the horizon, my senses heightened, yet there is nothing, merely an endless expanse of white stretching out before us.
Suddenly, in the far distance, steam erupts into the sky. Mia’s eyes widen, a smile illuminating her face. “An oasis!” she exclaims, and we quicken our pace.
As we race toward the geyser, I sense a shift in the air, a subtle vibration that sets my instincts on edge. Before I can react, the ground beneath us gives way, and we find ourselves ensnared in a net trap. The ropes bite into my skin as I struggle against the confines, my mind reeling with the realization that we have fallen victim to Vornas’s cunning.
Emerging from his concealed vantage point, Vornas looks haggard yet triumphant, his eyes gleaming with a predatory intensity. In a swift move, he slices through the section of the net holding Mia and drags her away. I thrash against the unyielding netting as I watch Vornas scale the towering cliff side with feline grace, his claws finding purchase in the jagged rock.
“Let her go!” I roar as I strain against my bonds. The sight of Mia’s diminishing form, helpless in Vornas’s grasp, awakens a beast within me. The ropes dig deeper into my flesh, drawing blood, but the pain is inconsequential compared to the anguish that rips through my very being.
Vornas pauses on an outcropping, holding Mia precariously close to the edge, her feet dangling over the abyss. His voice carries down to me, laced with a chilling resolve. “I respect you, Krakenos, but I won’t hesitate to claim her for myself if you attempt to follow us. You will surrender and let me cross the finish line unchallenged.”
I know Vornas. I understand the code of honor that governs his actions. He won’t go back on his word, but it gives me no peace as I watch him disappear over the cliff side ridge with Mia in tow. It is only then that I manage to tear loose some key knots in the netting, freeing myself.
I stare up at the towering cliffs, their jagged edges mocking my inability to scale them. My claws scrape uselessly against the stone, each failed attempt a twist of the knife in my heart. Mia’s scent lingers in the air, and for a moment I wonder if I’ll ever see her again.
My eyes trace the seemingly endless expanse of vertical stone, searching for any possible route. My mind races, grasping at ideas, each one more desperate than the last. But as the wind whips around me, carrying away the last traces of Mia’s scent, I’m left with nothing but the crushing weight of my failure.
But then, amid the darkness of despair, I feel a stirring deep within me, an ancient power that has lain dormant for centuries. It calls to me, urging me to trust in my instincts and return to the embrace of the ocean. Without hesitation, I turn and take off at full speed toward the beach, my pulse pounding with a newfound energy that courses through my veins.
The distance is vast, the terrain unforgiving, but somehow I find the strength to move faster than ever before, my entire being focused on a singular goal: to bring Mia back to safety, to hold her in my arms once more.
As I near the shoreline, the salty sea air envelops me, and the new power within me builds to a crescendo. It is an unstoppable force, a primal connection to the very essence of the ocean itself. I close my eyes, allowing the energy to flow through me, until I come to a startling realization.
The presence I sense is hauntingly familiar. It stirs memories of a recent encounter, one that nearly claimed my life, and as the pieces fall into place, I am struck by the profound understanding of the nature of this bond.
As I stand at the shoreline, the power within me reaches its zenith, and I sense a presence approaching from the depths of the ocean. The water churns and froths, and then I see it—the massive creature that I faced not so long ago, the very same one that almost ended my existence.
The ocean churns and heaves, giving birth to a behemoth that eclipses the sun. The Storm Brewer emerges, water cascading off its gargantuan form in torrents. My heart races, not with the terror I’d known before, but with an inexplicable sense of connection. As its massive eye locks onto mine, I feel the resonance of our shared essence, a primal link that transcends understanding. The beast and I, once mortal enemies, are now bound by the ancient magic of the sea.
As I step into the shallows, the Storm Brewer’s presence envelops me, a majestic and awe-inspiring force that responds to my call. In that moment, a profound understanding passes between us—a recognition of the bond that ties our fates together now that I am a proper Aquarian king who has found his queen.
The Storm Brewer turns and disappears into the ocean once more, and with it, the water begins to recede, pulling away from the shore until it disappears into the horizon, leaving nothing but an empty beach
The roaring ocean fills my ears as I see it in the distance—a colossal wall of water rising toward the heavens, growing taller and more imposing with each passing second.
As the tidal wave builds, I brace myself. With a mighty, thunderous crash, the wave breaks over the frozen tundra, its immense force propelling me forward at breakneck speed. The icy wind whips against my face as I ride the crest of this behemoth born of the depths.
The landscape beneath me blurs into a dizzying display of whites and grays as I surge toward the cliffs where Mia and Vornas disappeared. The sheer power of the wave carries me over the vast distance, until it reaches a towering zenith that seems to caress the very sky itself, allowing me to soar over the once-impassable cliffs with ease.
As the wave crests the cliffs, I catch sight of Vornas and Mia, their faces etched with both shock and disbelief as they bear witness to the oncoming deluge. Vornas takes a step back as he seems to realize his feline agility is useless in the face of my ancient connection to the ocean.
The colossal wave slams into Vornas and Mia, engulfing them in a maelstrom of churning water and debris. I plunge headlong into the raging vortex, frantically searching for any sign of my mate.
The relentless current threatens to drag me under, but I summon every ounce of my strength to fight against its pull, my eyes scouring the turbulent depths for a glimpse of Mia.
Amid the chaos, I spot her limp form, tossed about by the relentless current. With a burst of speed, I propel myself toward her, reaching out and snatching her up. I kick hard for the surface, my muscles burning as I hold Mia close to my body.
We break through, and I gasp for air, my gills flaring as I drag Mia toward a familiar platform—the one that houses the finish line.
