Novel & Cerita The Deeper The Water The Uglier The Fish

“You’d run if a bear was chasing you.” “Nope. Why bother? I’m not going to outrun a bear. I’ll just lay down and take it. No reason to get my adrenaline pumping. I’ve heard that makes meat taste bad. Did you know that?” “What?” Julia asked. “You don’t want to taste bad for the bear?” “Well, not entirely, but—” I stopped talking, realizing I was going off on one of my tangents. “Get up, bitches!” Khloe’s voice boomed through the closed door. “It’s a beautiful day outside!”

Half an hour later, the group experienced the thrill that only the deep water could bring. So far down in the water, the sunlight is a soft diffuse glow. Those once golden rays from above are only blue in this water and the deeper they swim, the less light can penetrate. The rocks are now silhouettes in the dim. Some feet beneath the surface, they saw the underwater life. Everything was cast blue by the filtered light. The place was festooned by an entrancing panorama. A rocky wall stood up like a sky scrapper. While underwater weeds, kelp, anemones, and corals rose like a Gothic architecture. With the increasing pressure, Audrey began to feel like the water is becoming thicker, like soup. S

The chilly depths give way to a gentler, milder temperature, and a sense of hope and determination fills their hearts. As they emerge from the Tritanian skies, they find themselves swimming through a vast expanse of open ocean. The water gradually grows brighter, illuminated by the warm caress of sunlight filtering down from above. The ever-changing shades of blue envelop them, a stark contrast to the depths they left behind. The journey through the depths of the ocean is both exhilarating and nerve-wracking. Swimming through 5,000 feet of water, they rely on their training and the strength of their tails to propel them forward.

Rabbit finally calmed down and felt alive again. Rabbit would not be so miserable if the water was clean. The environment here was very bad. Rabbit was sensitive to water and almost died from that ordeal. The deep-sea fish creatures were on the run. As if something was after them, they were so frightened that they did not even have time to pack their things. “We need to run! Our enemies are after us. We’ll be dead if we don’t leave now!” “The deep-sea fish creatures have been around for so long, but we've never been so miserable before. Those people are too much for driving us into this state!”

Always me. “Morning, healer.” Kael didn't greet him. Typical. “What did you find?” I asked. Bren pointed at the water. “This.” I knelt beside him—and froze. Dead fish. Dozens of them. Floated up along the shore, their scales pale, eyes clouded, bodies stiff. All of them with the same odd discoloration beneath the gills—a greyish-green marbling that looked disturbingly similar to the veins spreading along the spines of the sick pack members.

She states bluntly and I am perplexed that the guy next to me is destined for something so responsible and serious. We both rummage through the water and I feel a something sharp stabbing me in my hand as I reach in the water. I hiss and pull my hand back, I look it over. It’s just a small puncture wound, it’ll heal fast. I check the water what it was and see something yellow. I grab it carefully as I don’t want to stab myself again.

My stomach does a small, nervous flip at the mention of the aquarium, but Jerry’s expression is nothing but curious and open. "You were talking about the deep water," he continues, his voice lowering, drawing me in. "You said predators don't fight the drag. They let the water carry them until they need to snap the trap shut. I’ve been trying to articulate that for my chapter on abyssal zone hunting mechanics, and I just can't get the wording right. How does the pressure at that depth not crush them before they strike?" I look at him. He isn't holding a laptop tonight which would have triggered the alerts in my head, he is just sitting across from me, looking at my face, genuinely waiting for

In the center of the room sat a large basin. I stepped closer, drawn by something I couldn’t name. Inside the basin was a fish. It was unlike any fish I had ever seen. It was large, sleek, its scales shimmering a rich, molten gold as though sunlight lived beneath its skin. It moved slowly through the water, graceful, powerful. Beautiful in a way that made my chest tighten. I knelt beside the basin, mesmerized. Then, without warning, the fish stilled. Its mouth opened. From within it, two smaller fish slipped free, one after the other, splashing softly into the water. They were smaller, yes but just as radiant, their tiny golden bodies darting clumsily, alive and vibrant.

The water in the tank began to turn dark rapidly, as if a giant cloud of black ink had been released, obscuring everything. And then, something more terrifying happened! A large number of fish in the tank, not just the small ones, but also some big ones hiding in the darkness, started to try and leap out of the water! A huge swarm of fish of various sizes slammed against the tunnel glass wildly. The resounding thuds made the tunnel shake, as if it were about to shatter! Some of them leaped up to their head level, their mouths wide open as they slammed against the glass, as if trying to bite their heads off. Their red eyes were filled with hunger and ferocity!

I once again find myself beside the lake. Its blue glow illuminates around me as I watch the two-spirit fish dancing smoothly in the translucent depths. One fish glows an obsidian black, just staring at it spikes my heart with unease. The other fish glows a serene purple, calming me instantly. I’ve travelled to many places, but I have never seen fish that glowed. This lake is bewitching, I feel its magic resonating with the natural energy within me.