The air of the surface seemed increasingly distant as we continued heading south. The carriage had been left behind some time ago, and now only the sound of the wind cutting across the coastline filled the surroundings. Ahead, the ocean stretched like a world without end, reflecting the light of the sky in waves that moved with an almost hypnotic calm. I stopped for a few seconds, observing it. It was strange. After so many battles on solid ground, I was now about to enter completely unknown territory.
The girls were beside me, each reacting in a different way. Rai'kanna seemed more curious than impressed, as if she had already imagined something like this before. Scarlett kept her gaze fixed on the horizon, always attentive. Liriel watched everything in silence, with that calm expression that never revealed surprise. Her assistant was clearly more uneasy, looking at the sea as if it could swallow all of us at any moment. Lyannis and Eara were quietly talking, trying to hide their tension. Vespera simply crossed her arms, as if nothing there could shake her composure.
The fish-man mage walked to the water's edge and took a deep breath. He looked at me and then at the group.
"Before we descend, we need to prepare the adaptation spell. The ocean is not just water. It presses, pushes, and invades every part of the body. Without preparation, none of you would survive for long down there."
I nodded. I had faced absurd things before, but this was different. It was not a creature, nor was it an army on land. It was the environment itself against us.
The mage raised his hands and began murmuring words in an ancient language. The air around him changed. The sound of the wind seemed to distort, and the water near the shore began to react, as if it were alive. A blue glow began to form in circles around us, slowly enveloping everyone. It was as if the ocean itself were watching us before accepting our entry.
The spell then spread. A strange sensation took over my body. It was not pain, but a different kind of pressure, as if something were reorganizing my breathing, my muscles, even my perception. For a moment, I felt as though my chest were being filled with water, but without suffocating. It was uncomfortable, but at the same time natural.
I looked at my hands. Small particles of blue light disappeared into my skin.
"This… will allow us to breathe down there?" I asked.
The mage smiled.
"Not just breathe. Your bodies will adapt to the pressure. But there is still a limit. Do not overdo it."
The girls began to feel the same effect. Some instinctively held their own chests, while others closed their eyes, trying to understand the sensation. Rai'kanna took a deep breath and let out a small laugh.
"Interesting… it feels like the world is changing around us."
Scarlett simply adjusted the sword on her back.
"I hope it really works."
The mage then took a step back and struck his staff against the ground. The water in front of us began to rise impossibly, as if it were being shaped by invisible hands. Within a few seconds, a transparent structure began to form. It was like a large cocoon of compressed water, slowly spinning and reflecting the light of the sky.
"Get inside. This will take us to the initial depth."
I hesitated for a moment, but then walked forward. I took the first step inside the structure and immediately felt the pressure change. There was no water suffocating me, only a strange sensation of being surrounded by something alive and, at the same time, safe. The girls followed right behind.
When everyone was inside, the structure began to move. It did not fall or float. It simply slid downward, crossing the ocean as if we were slowly being swallowed by an invisible world.
The light of the surface grew increasingly distant. The blue began to darken. Fish passed by us at impressive speeds, like living shadows cutting through the surroundings. The deeper we descended, the more the world seemed to transform. The silence also grew. It was not an empty silence, but a heavy one, as if the ocean itself were watching us.
Lyannis lightly touched the barrier.
"It's strange… but I don't feel afraid."
"You should feel a little," Eara replied.
Vespera simply watched everything carefully.
"This place is perfect for ambushes."
It was not long before something larger appeared ahead. An enormous shape approached the structure. For a moment, I thought it was a sea creature, but then I realized it was something different. A kind of platform made of compressed water, spinning in a spiral. Inside it was something resembling a vehicle.
The mage pointed.
"Get on. This will take us to the kingdom."
The structure opened, and we entered. As soon as we settled in, the movement became smoother. It was as if we were inside a magical submarine, gliding through the ocean currents.
The descent continued for longer than I could measure. The concept of time there seemed different. Until, finally, something began to emerge from the darkness below.
First came lights. Small glowing points scattered throughout the abyss. Then larger shapes began to appear. Gigantic structures made of coral, gold, and luminous stones. An entire city revealed itself at the bottom of the sea.
I moved closer to the edge of the vehicle, completely impressed.
"So… this is the fish-men kingdom…"
The city stretched out like a living dream. Giant corals formed entire streets. Golden structures reflected the blue light of the ocean as if they were made of crystal. Fish swam among the buildings as if they were part of everyday life. Everything there seemed to be in harmony with the environment, as if the city itself had been born from the sea.
The vehicle began descending toward the central part of the city. Little by little, we could see guards, civilians, and children playing among currents of water controlled by magic. Everything was different, yet strangely familiar.
Scarlett murmured.
"This doesn't look like a kingdom at war…"
"But it is at war," the mage calmly replied.
The vehicle then stopped in front of a large structure. It was a castle formed from giant shells and shining stones, with pillars that seemed to support the ocean itself.
The door opened.
The air around us remained stable. The magic was working perfectly.
"Welcome to the fish-men kingdom," the mage said.
And at that moment, as I took my first step into that underwater world, I knew that everything that came next would be completely different from anything I had faced so far.