The golden bubble at the bottom of the divine ocean was no longer just a pocket of air. It was a crucible.
Caspian stood up from the silt. The physical transformation of his mortal body was violent and immediate. The heavy, grey skin of his shark-like biology deepened into an impenetrable armor of abyssal sapphire. The tribal tattoos across his broad chest did not just glow; they ignited with the fierce, crackling energy of a storm-grey typhoon. He grew taller, his muscular frame expanding until he possessed the terrifying, perfect proportions of a celestial deity.
He was no longer fighting the crushing weight of the water. He was breathing it in.
Valeria remained on her knees, looking up at him. She felt the sudden, massive influx of power rushing through their newly forged soul link.
The system interface in her mind flashed with a sequence of brilliant gold text.
