I. A Scream from the Deep
A profound silence enveloped them as they swam in the midst of an ocean that seemed endless. Only the sound of water swishing could be heard, but behind it all, there was something darker, beginning to feel like it was pressing on their chests. Maneless felt it clearly—a sound he couldn't understand, yet it called to him with immense power.
Lyra, swimming beside him, turned. "Maneless, you're not alright," she said with a worried voice, her eyes checking Maneless's body, which looked increasingly restless.
Maneless ignored the warning, his eyes fixed on the dark sea horizon. "I hear something. The sound is getting stronger."
"Sound?" Kairos asked, swimming closer to them, his brow furrowed. "There's no sound in the sea that can be heard so clearly. You're probably just thinking too much about the ancient ruins."
However, Kairos's words seemed futile. Maneless was already too deeply connected to that sound. "It's not that," he said in a weak tone. "The sound is coming from within the sea—from very far away. Like... like a scream."
Suddenly, the sound was heard again—louder, more echoing, as if originating from a very distant depth, a cry that shattered the silence.
Lyra and Kairos exchanged glances, feeling the tension that filled the air. "Maneless, we have to get out of here!" Lyra exclaimed, feeling a chill begin to creep down her spine. "This isn't natural!"
Maneless looked at Lyra, but there was a firmness in his gaze. "I can't, I have to go there. It's calling me."
Kairos shook his head, his expression growing more serious. "Maneless, this is crazy! You don't know what you're doing. You'll get trapped in an illusion."
However, Maneless was no longer listening. Without further explanation, he began to dive deeper, letting himself be dragged by the sound, even though he knew it could be dangerous. Lyra and Kairos exchanged glances for a moment, but finally they followed.
II. The Unseen Darkness of the Deep Sea
The deeper they descended into the sea, the darker and more suffocating it felt. In this depth, the water grew colder, as if penetrating their bones, and the increasingly strong currents pushed their bodies in directions they didn't want. They were trapped in endlessly rolling waves, and that sound—the increasingly close scream—made their hearts beat faster.
Lyra took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. "Maneless, wait!" she called out in a hoarse voice. "We don't know what's waiting for us down here!"
"But we don't have a choice, Lyra," Maneless replied, his voice lower but still steady. "I feel it, we have to go deeper."
With every meter they covered, the atmosphere grew more ominous. Kairos, usually calm and calculating, looked anxious. "Are you sure you can face it? This isn't a game anymore. It's not just a sound. There's something bigger here."
Maneless didn't answer. Only his determined eyes stared downwards, piercing the darkness that enveloped them. They continued to dive, deeper and deeper, further and further from the familiar surface.
Below them, a large shadow began to appear—something inexplicable. Maneless held his breath, his body feeling heavier, as if an unseen force was pulling him deeper.
III. Petrified by the Forgotten Creature
Finally, they reached the seabed, a place far darker and quieter than anything they had ever seen. There, among black rocks and the wrecks of broken ships, they found something they had never imagined.
A large creature lay there, its body covered in trailing black chains, as if trapped in an inescapable darkness. Its eyes were open—a pair of pale blue eyes that glowed in the dark, staring at Maneless with an indescribable emotion.
"What... is this?" Lyra whispered, her eyes wide with enveloping fear.
Maneless, already connected to the creature through the haunting sound, exhaled deeply. "This... I know this. This is me... or at least, my future."
Kairos stepped back slightly, the horror on his face growing clearer. "This is insane... This is impossible. It's a creature like you, but bigger, darker."
The creature—which seemed trapped in an endless time—moved its head slowly, and the sound echoed again in Maneless's mind. "You know who I am... don't you? I am your future. If you don't fight, you will become me, trapped forever at the bottom of this sea."
Maneless bit his lip, trying to calm himself. "No... I won't become like you. I won't be trapped in darkness."
But the creature laughed, a terrifying laugh, like a scream from an irresistible depth. "You have no choice. This darkness is your destiny, Maneless."
IV. The Devastating Fear
Maneless felt his body being pulled into a deeper darkness, as if an unseen force was drawing him to join the creature. However, amidst the haunting fear, there was also a glimmer of light—a very small hope yet strong enough to endure.
Lyra, seeing the tension on Maneless's face, swam closer. "Maneless!" she exclaimed, trying to reach for his hand. "Don't let yourself be trapped in this darkness! You are stronger than this!"
Kairos also spoke, though his voice was slightly louder, full of urgency. "Maneless, listen to me! We're here. We'll help you get out of here!"
But Maneless couldn't move. His body was stiff, as if bound by invisible chains. "I feel... trapped," he said, his voice weak and strained. "I can't get out of here."
Lyra looked at him with eyes full of sorrow. "Don't say that! You have to fight, Maneless. The power within you is greater than this."
Suddenly, a bright blue light emerged from Maneless's body, illuminating their surroundings. The light grew stronger, brighter, until it shattered the darkness around them. The black chains that bound the creature began to break one by one, destroying everything in a burst of energy.
V. The Awakened Power
With unimaginable power, Maneless broke free from the clutches of darkness. However, although he had escaped that shadow, the change that had occurred within him could not be ignored. His eyes now shone a brilliant blue, his body filled with a power far greater than before.
"I am not myself anymore," he whispered in a voice full of emotion, but this time there was firmness in it. "I have changed."
Lyra looked at him in astonishment. "Maneless... you—you—what happened to you?"
"But I am still here," Maneless replied, taking Lyra's hand. "I can still choose who I am."
This chapter ends with a powerful emotional turmoil, and a significant change within Maneless. He now possesses greater power, but is also more bound to the darkness that follows him. The relationship with Lyra and Kairos also deepens, as they must face the reality that Maneless is no longer the same person.