The golden passage behind the altar was narrow and damp, the air thick with the smell of old magic and ozone. Kaito walked with the silver dolphin whistle gripped tightly in his sweating palm. Every step he took felt like he was moving deeper into a world that humans had forgotten centuries ago. The light from his compass pulsed with a warm, amber glow, illuminating ancient carvings on the walls that seemed to depict men riding on the backs of giant sea creatures.
"The sea only bows to those who do not fear its depths," Kaito muttered, repeating the ghostly whisper he had heard near the altar. He needed that courage now more than ever.
Suddenly, the passage opened up into a massive underground lake. The water here wasn't dark or murky; it was as clear as liquid diamond. Far below the surface, Kaito could see the shimmering ruins of a forgotten city—towers made of pearl and streets paved with gold. But his attention was quickly diverted.
Shadows—huge, sleek, and terrifyingly fast—were circling the edges of the lake. They weren't like the mindless Shadow-Crab he had fought earlier. These creatures felt ancient, powerful, and intelligent. One of them broke the surface, a serpent-like beast with scales as black as midnight and eyes that burned like twin moons. It let out a low, vibrating growl that made Kaito's very bones tremble.
"I have to try it," Kaito whispered. He pulled the silver whistle to his lips and blew with all his might.
At first, there was no sound—only a high-pitched vibration that made his head spin. But then, a low, melodic hum resonated from the whistle, spreading across the water in ripples of pure silver light. The effect was instant. The serpent-beast froze in its tracks. The other shadows stopped their predatory circling and sank back into the depths.
From the center of the lake, a massive whirlpool began to form. The water bubbled and hissed as a creature unlike anything Kaito had ever imagined rose from the deep. It was a giant sea turtle, its shell the size of a village house, covered in glowing blue runes and ancient sea-moss. Its eyes held the wisdom of a thousand years.
The great beast swam toward the shore and lowered its massive head, letting out a soft, huffing sound that smelled of fresh rain.
"You called, Tide-Walker?" a deep, rumbling voice echoed directly into Kaito's mind. It wasn't a sound he heard with his ears, but a thought that appeared in his brain.
Kaito staggered back, nearly dropping his compass. "You... you can talk? Who are you?"
"I am Oro, the Shell of Ages," the turtle replied, its voice like shifting stones. "I have waited ten long years for that whistle to sound again. You have your father's spirit, Kaito of Oakhaven. But the Abyss is waking, and its shadows are hungry. You are not yet ready for the heart of the storm."
Kaito stepped forward, his fear replaced by a burning curiosity. "My father... did he ride with you? Is he still alive?"
Oro blinked slowly, a sad glint in his golden eyes. "The answers you seek are buried where the light cannot reach. If you wish to find him, you must learn to command the tides, not just survive them. Climb onto my back, young one. Your training begins now."