The transition from the warm, pine-scented air of Oakhaven to the crushing weight of the divine ocean was a violent shock to the senses. As Valeria dissolved the outer layer of the golden airlock, the water did not simply flow in; it struck like a falling mountain. The pressure was a physical blow that forced the air from Caspian's lungs and slammed him against the silt-covered floor of the valley. For a heartbeat, the world was nothing but a chaotic roar of bubbles and freezing darkness.
Caspian did not panic. He had been born in the salt and the spray, and his body was built for the depths. His thick, shark-like skin rippled as his internal biology shifted to meet the pressure. The gills on his neck flared wide, filtering the thick, mana-saturated water with a desperate intensity. He gripped the haft of his heavy trident until his knuckles turned white, finding his balance in the swirling currents.
