I. Heading into the Darkness
The ocean before them turned into a dense sea of fog. Every movement felt heavy, as if swimming in a nightmare. The coral rocks around them looked like ghostly shadows, swaying strangely at the edge of their vision.
"This is... weird," Lyra whispered, her voice trembling. "I don't like this place."
Kairos gripped his weapon tighter. "It's like something is watching us."
Maneless stared into the darkness. In his heart, something felt wrong. There was silence... but not ordinary silence. This was a threatening silence, as if the sea itself was holding its breath.
"Keep going," he said softly. "Our answer is there."
They went deeper, among ancient coral ruins and rock fractures. The further they went, the more they felt something following them. Not a sound. Not a movement. But a presence.
A silent presence.
Orbital the Silent.
II. Shadow in Silence
Suddenly, Lyra stopped. Her hand gripped Maneless's arm tightly.
"There!" she exclaimed, pointing towards the fog.
A large silhouette emerged—a silent, floating shape, slowly moving above the seabed. Its eyes didn't shine. There was no breath, no sound. Only darkness.
"Orbital..." Kairos whispered, his tone full of fear. "The Silent."
"A creature of legend," Lyra murmured, "that destroyed underwater kingdoms just with its presence."
Maneless stared at the creature. Its body was pitch black, cracked lines like stone skin covered it. There was no aggressive movement, but every second near it felt like a poison slowly eating away at the soul.
"We can't fight it..." Lyra said, her voice breaking. "We have to—"
Orbital slowly raised one of its limbs. The ocean currents churned, throwing the three of them back.
Maneless held back the pain in his chest. He knew. They had to survive, no matter what.
"We have to cut off its power source," Kairos hissed, grinding his teeth. "Otherwise, we'll all rot here."
III. Fighting Silently
The three of them formed a defensive formation, but Orbital's attack was unlike anything they had ever faced. There were no direct waves of attack. No explosions. Just pressure. Pressure that slowly crushed their minds.
Lyra felt her tears mix with the seawater. Her mind was filled with whispers of despair, bad memories, her deepest fears.
"I... I can't..." she whispered.
Maneless saw Lyra almost drowning in her inner darkness. Quickly, he swam to her and grabbed her hand.
"Look at me, Lyra!" he shouted loudly. "Don't drown in your fear! We're still alive! We can still fight!"
His eyes—burning blue eyes—became an anchor for Lyra in the storm.
Kairos swung his weapon at Orbital, but a wave of silence reflected off the creature's body, shattering the coral rocks around it.
"This is insane!" Kairos yelled. "It can't be harmed!"
Maneless closed his eyes. He had to find an opening. He had to.
In an instant, he felt something in his blood—an echo, a key. The crystal stone he had been holding trembled violently.
"I know how to stop it," Maneless murmured, slowly.
Kairos and Lyra looked at him with a mixture of hope and fear.
"But I need you with me."
IV. The Frozen Heart of the Sea
Maneless raised the crystal stone high. The crystal shone blindingly, cutting through the dense fog. Orbital the Silent paused for a moment, its body vibrating slightly—the first reaction they had seen.
"It's connected to the Sea Tower!" Maneless exclaimed, his eyes shining. "It's guarding something... or someone."
The light from the stone shone directly onto Orbital, revealing cracks in its body. The cracks were like old wounds that never healed.
"Lyra, help me amplify the light!" Maneless shouted.
Lyra, though still unsteady, raised both her hands, channeling water power to focus the light to a single point.
Kairos swam around Orbital, looking for a weak spot.
"I need one opening!" he yelled.
Orbital suddenly roared in silence—a sound unheard, yet it struck them like a storm.
The water churned violently, making Maneless almost lose his grip. But he shouted, his heart's voice cutting through the whispers of darkness.
"I will not give up!!"
With their last strength, they combined their attacks. The blue light of the crystal, Lyra's water power, and Kairos's sword slash that cut through the current—all hit Orbital in one seemingly eternal second.
The creature's body trembled intensely... then slowly shattered into thousands of black fragments that disappeared into the darkness.
When the silence returned, the sea felt lighter. But also emptier. As if something vast had been unleashed from its bonds.
The three of them stood still. Their heavy breaths were the only sound among the ruins.
"We did it..." Lyra whispered, weak.
"But this is just the beginning," Maneless said with a harsh gaze. "That tower is still calling me."
Kairos gave a bitter grin. "If this is just the beginning, I'm scared to imagine what awaits us at the end of our journey."
Maneless stared into the distance, towards the darkness where the Sea Tower stood waiting.
In his heart, something trembled... something stronger than fear.
Hope.