Chapter 8: The Deep Elves
The submersible eased further into the temple, leaving the confused fish creatures behind. Tobias, still shaking his head, muttered, "We're really about to meet Atlantis elves, aren't we?"
Elise kept her hands steady on the controls. "If we're lucky."
"If we're unlucky?"
"Eaten."
"Awesome. Love that for us."
The carvings inside the temple pulsed brighter, casting an eerie blue glow. Then, without warning, the submersible stopped. Not by force—just… suspended in place, like gravity had forgotten about them.
Then the water shifted.
A figure appeared in the glow.
Elise sucked in a breath.
Tall, impossibly slender, with skin that shimmered like pearl and deep-sea bioluminescence, the being moved with unnatural grace. Their long, pointed ears framed a face too sharp, too perfect. Their eyes—black, bottomless—studied the submersible with a mix of curiosity and amusement.
Tobias squinted. "Are they… posing?"
Elise blinked. "What?"
"I swear they just did a dramatic turn, hair flowing and everything. Like a freaking shampoo commercial."
The figure drifted closer, then raised a hand. The carvings on the temple walls exploded with light, forming intricate symbols that swirled in the water. A voice—not spoken, but felt—echoed in their minds.
"Surface-dwellers. You have come uninvited."
Elise cleared her throat. "Uh. Yes. But, in our defense, the door was open?"
Tobias groaned. "Oh my god, Elise, don't sass the ancient water elf."
The being's expression didn't change. If anything, they looked more amused.
"You trespass upon the city of the First Ones. The Deep Elves."
Tobias turned to Elise. "Called it."
The Deep Elf ignored him, studying Elise. "You seek knowledge."
She hesitated. "Yes."
They tilted their head. "You will regret it."
A chill ran down her spine. "Why?"
Before the Deep Elf could answer, a sudden shriek echoed from deeper within the temple. The water trembled. Shadows stirred.
The Deep Elf sighed."Because the others have awakened."
Elise clenched the controls. "Others?"
The Deep Elf slowly turned toward the darkness ahead. "The ones who should never wake."
Tobias groaned. "Yeah, I hate everything about that sentence."
The shadows moved.
And something huge began to emerge.