The current dragged Kael deeper into the collapsing abyss. Debris swirled past him—shards of rock, bones of forgotten adventurers, and ancient weapons swallowed by time. His lungs didn't ache. His body had already evolved to no longer need air down here. But his instincts still screamed.
[Aquatic Mastery: Stabilizing currents… complete.]
He twisted in the water, carving his path upward with a flick of his fingers, forcing the water to obey. Moments later, he broke the surface into a dome-like cavern, eerily silent and still. Bioluminescent moss lit the walls, casting green reflections over the dark waters. In the center was a floating stone island.
And atop it sat her.
She looked human, impossibly so. Silken silver hair flowed over her bare shoulders. Her dress, spun from the water itself, clung to her like a second skin. Eyes like moonlight watched him, gentle, glowing… and wrong.
"Welcome, Kael," she whispered. Her voice was music—soft, warm, soothing. It didn't echo. It lived in his thoughts. "You've come far. You deserve rest."
Kael narrowed his eyes but said nothing.
The siren smiled, rising to her feet as if floating through a dream. She stepped toward him, and the water formed a path beneath her. "You've bled. You've killed. Let me take the burden."
"Get to the point." His voice was calm, but cold enough to freeze the cavern over.
The smile faltered. "Join me. Surrender the path. I can give you power without pain. Eternity without loneliness."
Kael's feet landed silently on the stone as he walked toward her. Each step echoed with purpose. "Power without pain?" He tilted his head. "Sounds like a lie for the weak."
She frowned. "You would choose suffering over salvation?"
"I'd choose truth over illusion."
The siren's expression twisted. For a moment, the beauty peeled back. Her lips stretched into an unnatural smile. Her eyes turned black.
"Then drown in your truth."
The water exploded.
Tendrils of liquid shot up, morphing into serpents. The temperature plummeted. The once-calm waters became claws. Kael didn't flinch. He moved through them like shadow.
His body adapted instantly—water slid off his skin, currents bent away from him, and his claws gleamed with a silver hue. The siren lunged, her body changing—half woman, half monstrous eel with rows of fangs.
Kael struck without hesitation.
Steel met scale. Blood dyed the water black. She screamed, her voice no longer a lullaby, but a shriek that split stone.
"You could've been everything!" she howled.
"I am everything," Kael said.
One final strike—precise, merciless—cut through her throat. Her body convulsed, then dissolved into mist, her voice lingering a moment longer like an echo of regret.
[Trial Complete: Siren of the Deep defeated.]
[Ability Gained: Voice of the Deep – Passive resistance to mental manipulation, charm, and illusion. Grants insight into emotional manipulation tactics.]
Kael looked at his hands. The siren's essence still glowed faintly across his fingers before fading into his bloodstream.
Not all enemies needed blades. Some fought with promises. With dreams.
And that was exactly why he'd never let his guard down.
He turned toward the next gate as it rumbled open, revealing nothing but fog and whispers.
He didn't hesitate.
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