Chapter 80: Depths of Devotion"Alright, ladies. No one’s going anywhere without this," Diana announced, holding up a thick coil of rope like it was the hottest new toy in heaven.

    Grace stared at it, then at Diana’s dead-serious face.

    "Um, what?"

    "Safety measures." Diana started cutting the rope into sections. "Each of us ties one end around our waist. We stay connected."

    Petriel nodded, still looking like hell after yesterday’s almost-drowning. Her wings twitched nervously as she took her piece of rope from Diana.

    Meridian raised an eyebrow.

    "Is this truly necessary?"

    "Look, Blue," Diana said, "I don’t know about you, but I’m not in the mood to chase after any of you when you get water-zombie brain and decide to waltz into the ocean. Put the damn thing on." Sёarch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Meridian opened her mouth to argue, then closed it.

    "Fine."

    They stood on the shoreline, getting ready to check out the coast. The sky above was heavy with gray clouds, and the water looked darker than normal—almost black in some spots. Grace’s medallion felt cold as hell against her skin, clearly having a reaction to The Tide’s presence.

    Diana finished tying the rope around her own waist, then moved to check Grace’s knot. Her fingers brushed against Grace’s hip, lingering just long enough to make Grace’s brain short-circuit.

    "Tight enough?" Diana asked with a smirk.

    Grace swallowed.

    "Y-yeah. Fine."

    "Good."

    The group began walking along the shore, following Meridian’s lead. The scholar angel kept checking a scroll, muttering to herself like a crazy person. After about half a mile, the shoreline curved into a small bay, and there it was—half-underwater, covered in seaweed and barnacles, but unmistakably:

    "A temple," Meridian breathed, sounding like she might orgasm from pure academic excitement. "Look at those archways. Early Eternian design."

    Grace glanced at Diana, who rolled her eyes so hard they almost fell out of her head.

    "This is why she came," Grace whispered.

    "Duh," Diana whispered back. "Celestia probably dangled some ancient artifact over her head like a carrot. These choir nerds are all the same."

    Meridian was already wading into the ankle-deep water surrounding the temple entrance, her brain apparently deciding safety was optional. The rope connecting her to Diana went taut.

    "Hey! Slow down, Blue!" Diana called.

    Meridian barely looked back, pointing at the doorway.

    "These runes are from Eternia’s time. This structure predates the Angelic Dominion!"

    That got everyone’s attention. Even Diana looked impressed.

    "How old are we talking?" Grace asked.

    "Old enough that most of the writing systems used have been lost," Meridian said, running her fingers over the stone. "But I’ve studied them extensively."

    [Of course you have.]

    They approached the temple entrance carefully, the water now reaching their calves. Grace felt a weird tugging sensation, like invisible currents trying to pull her deeper. Her medallion pulsed against her chest like it was trying to warn her about something.

    "Stay close," she warned.

    The entrance was a doorway half-underwater, leading to a partially flooded chamber. Stone steps disappeared into dark water.

    "I can translate some of this," Meridian said, examining the etchings around the doorway. "It speaks of ’The Collector of Grief’ who offers ’eternal communion without pain.’"

    "Yeah, that sounds pleasant and not at all murdery," Diana said dryly.

    Petriel shifted closer to Grace.

    "I-I don’t like this place."

    "Me neither," Grace agreed. But they had to investigate.

    They entered the temple, Diana leading the way with her golden sword drawn, lighting up the darkness. The main chamber was huge, with a domed ceiling that was partially collapsed on one side. Water filled about half the room, slapping gently against stone columns.

    Meridian moved from wall to wall, practically having a nerdgasm with each inscription she found.

    "Fascinating. According to this, The Tide was created to absorb Eternia’s feelings of isolation and loneliness. It promises a ’collective consciousness’ where no one is ever alone."

    "By turning them into water monsters?" Diana asked.

    "Transformation rather than corruption, like I said before," Meridian corrected. "The text suggests willing surrender leads to ’unity of form and thought.’"

    Grace felt the water swirling around her legs, almost like it was eavesdropping.

    "So people walk into the sea voluntarily?"

    "Those who feel most alone would be most susceptible," Meridian said. "The Tide preys on isolation."

    Grace thought of the voice in her dream. That promise of connection. Never being alone again.

    A sudden rumble shook the temple. Chunks of ceiling crashed into the water.

    "What the—" Diana began.

    Then the water exploded upward.

    It surged from below, filling the chamber like someone had turned on a giant faucet. Within seconds, it was at their waists, then their chests.

    "OUT!" Diana bellowed, yanking on the ropes. "NOW!"

    They scrambled toward the exit, but the water kept rising, faster than they could move. Grace felt something cold wrap around her ankle, pulling her under. She kicked hard, breaking free, and surfaced with a gasp.

    "Grace!" Diana was at the doorway, hauling on her rope. "Move your ass!"

    Grace swam toward her, fighting against the current. Diana grabbed her arm and yanked her through the doorway just as another section of ceiling collapsed where she’d been.

    "Petriel?" Grace gasped, looking around frantically.

    Diana cursed, holding up a frayed rope end.

    "It snapped!"

    Horror washed over Grace.

    "We have to go back!"

    "Are you insane?" Diana grabbed her shoulders. "That place is coming down!"

    "It’s not collapsing," Meridian interjected, pointing. "Look."

    She was right. The rumbling had stopped. The water had stabilized just below the temple entrance. Almost like...

    "It was trying to separate us," Grace realized. "It got Petriel."

    Diana grabbed Grace’s arm as she tried to dive back in.

    "Absolutely not."

    "She’s right," Meridian said. "Going back in blindly is suicide."

    Grace pulled free from Diana’s grip.

    "I’m not leaving her alone in there!"

    "For fuck’s sake, Grace—"

    "I can find her," Grace insisted. "My Aura Sight. I can use it underwater."

    Diana’s jaw clenched.

    "That only detects corruption."

    "But it alters my vision a little. Look, just trust me," Grace was already untying the rope around her waist. "I’m going, Diana. Either help me or get out of my way."

    They stared at each other, having a silent who’s-more-stubborn contest. Finally, Diana cursed and retied the rope around Grace’s waist, securing the other end to her own.

    "Three tugs means I’m pulling you out, no arguments," Diana said. "Four tugs means you found her. Got it?"

    Grace nodded.

    "Got it."

    Before Diana could add more conditions, Grace took a deep breath and dove into the dark water.

    The temple interior looked completely different underwater. Light filtered through cracks in the ceiling, creating eerie blue shafts in the murky darkness. Grace activated her Aura Sight, and the world shifted. The usual gold-tinted vision which, right now, was basically letting her see in the dark, even though it couldn’t find any corruption.

    [Holy shit, it’s working!]

    Grace swam deeper, following a corridor that led downward. Her lungs began to burn, but she pushed on. The rope trailing behind her was her lifeline, her connection to the surface.

    The corridor opened into a larger chamber. Grace nearly gasped, almost losing precious air.

    Petriel floated in the center, surrounded by what used to be villagers. They had webbed hands now, gills on their necks, and scales glittering on their skin. They weren’t restraining Petriel; they were... presenting her to something lurking in the shadows.

    Grace drew her Blade of Dawn, the rapier’s light cutting through the water. The transformed villagers turned toward her, their eyes black and empty.

    What hit Grace most was what she didn’t see: the blue-purple aura of corruption. Meridian was right—these weren’t corrupted beings. They were transformed. Changed into something completely new.

    Which meant they couldn’t be saved.

    Petriel’s eyes widened as she spotted Grace. The healer struggled against her captors, bubbles escaping her mouth.

    [Oh crap, she’s drowning!]

    Grace shot forward, slashing her blade through the nearest water-being. It dissolved into the surrounding water. She cut through two more, creating a path to Petriel.

    The healer’s movements were getting weaker, her eyes starting to close. Grace grabbed her around the waist and tugged her rope four times in quick succession. Then, for good measure, she kicked hard off the floor and swam upward, dragging Petriel with her.

    Something massive shifted in the shadows behind them. Something that made the water go deathly cold.

    Grace’s lungs screamed for air. Black spots danced in her vision. The rope went taut as Diana began pulling from above, helping them ascend faster.

    Just as Grace’s consciousness began to fade, they broke the surface. She gulped air desperately, still clutching Petriel to her chest.

    "I’ve got you!" Diana shouted, hauling them both out of the water.

    Petriel wasn’t breathing.

    "No, no, no," Grace rolled her onto her back on the shore. "Petriel!"

    Water trickled from the healer’s blue lips. Grace pressed her hands to Petriel’s chest, channeling healing energy, but nothing happened.

    [Wait, Intimate Healing!]

    Grace didn’t hesitate. She pressed her mouth against Petriel’s, focusing all her energy into pulling the water out, just as she’d done the day before.

    Saltwater rushed into her mouth, foul and heavy. Grace turned her head and spat it out, then returned to the kiss, drawing out more.

    Finally, Petriel convulsed, coughing up water. Her eyes flew open, and she rolled onto her side, retching.

    "Grace?" she gasped once she could speak.

    "Right here," Grace said, relief making her voice shake. "You’re okay."

    Diana helped them both to their feet.

    "What the hell happened down there?"

    Grace described the chamber, the transformed villagers, and the massive presence she’d sensed but hadn’t seen.

    "The Tide itself, if I had to guess," Meridian concluded. "You were fortunate to escape."

    "Okay, this didn’t work out. I suggest we get back to the village," Diana said. "Regroup. Figure out our next move."

    "Agreed." The others responded in unison.

    As they walked away from the temple, Grace glanced back over her shoulder. The water around the structure was completely still now, unnaturally so.

    But beneath the surface, something was watching.

    Waiting.