Hope crouched behind the bushes, holding his breath.
Elara's wet hand was gripping his so tightly it almost hurt. Both of them stared at the dark silhouette ahead.
Whatever it was, it wasn't a guard.
Its walk… was wrong.
A normal Siren soldier moved with the rhythmic, metallic weight of armor. But this shadow seemed to glide across the ground. There were no footsteps, only a wet, sticky dragging sound.
Vich… Vich…
The silhouette stepped closer to the light near the Royal Pool.
Hope narrowed his eyes.
[ARCHITECT SIGHT: ACTIVE]
His eyes flared with green flames, but no clear analysis appeared. All he knew was that the shape wasn't human. Its shoulders were too broad, and where its arms should have been… something writhed. As if multiple limbs shifted beneath the surface.
The shadow stopped.
Its head, or the bulge where a head should have been, tilted slowly from side to side.
It was sniffing the air.
Then it turned toward the bushes where Hope and Elara were hiding.
Elara trembled. Hope instinctively moved slightly in front of her.
The shadow took another step. From within the darkness, a pitch-black liquid dripped onto the marble floor.
Was it poison?
Hope raised his hand, ready to summon his scythe. If it took one more step, he would attack.
And then—
"ELARA! ARCHITECT!"
The voice thundered.
It echoed so sharply that even the birds in the garden fell silent.
Prince Nereus.
"I know you're there!" the prince shouted from the main entrance of the garden. His voice was angry, but beneath it was a strange note of relief. "Come out. Now!"
Hope and Elara flinched.
Hope immediately looked back at the silhouette.
But… it was gone.
As if it had never existed.
The shadow had vanished with the prince's voice. Only a small, black stain remained on the marble floor, glistening faintly.
Elara exhaled and stepped out from the bushes.
"We're here, brother," she said, trying to keep her voice steady.
Prince Nereus approached with four fully armored Royal Guards. His expression was dark.
"What do you think you're doing?" he snapped, his gaze moving between Hope and Elara. When he noticed they were both soaked, his frown deepened. "The Royal Pool is a restricted area. And you, Elara… what are you doing here at this hour with a stranger?"
"I was just… showing him the garden," Elara said, lowering her head. "We slipped. Fell into the water."
Nereus turned to Hope. His eyes clearly said, We'll deal with you later.
"Elara, you are going to your room. Architect, you are coming with me to training. Now."
"Wait," Hope said suddenly, his tone serious. "Prince… we weren't alone."
Nereus stopped. "What are you talking about?"
Hope pointed to where the shadow had stood.
"While we were hiding… someone else was there. It was about to approach us. But when you shouted, it disappeared."
Elara shrugged. "Probably one of the guards, Hope. You're exaggerating."
"No," Hope said, shaking his head. "It wasn't a guard. No armor. And its shape… it looked human, but its limbs were wrong. It moved like an octopus."
The moment he said that word, the annoyed older-brother look vanished from Prince Nereus' face.
What replaced it was pure, icy dread.
Elara froze as well.
"An octopus?" Elara tried to laugh, but it came out strained. "Don't be ridiculous, Hope. The Octopus were exiled years ago. Not a single one of them can enter Atlantis. The shields would destroy them instantly."
"I saw it," Hope insisted. "It was black. And… it smelled like ink."
Prince Nereus walked to the spot Hope had indicated.
He knelt.
Touched the black stain with his finger.
Brought it to his nose.
His eyes widened.
"Alarm," he whispered.
Then he roared at the guards:
"ALARM! LOCK DOWN THE ENTIRE PALACE! RAISE THE SHIELDS TO MAXIMUM LEVEL!"
The guards ran without hesitation.
Throughout the palace, sirens began to echo. This sound was deeper than Vargo's alarm—like a war horn rising from the ocean floor.
BUUUUM… BUUUUM…
Elara rushed to her brother's side. "Brother? What's happening? That… that stain…"
"They've returned," Nereus said through clenched teeth. "The rebels. I don't know how they entered—but they are here."
The gentle prince was gone.
In his place stood a general.
"You're coming with me. Now."
Royal Secure Zone – The Pearl Chamber
Prince Nereus led them to the highest level of the palace, to a reinforced chamber built from pearl and titanium alloy. It looked more like a luxurious sanctuary than a prison, but the door was sealed with complex magical sigils that could not be opened from the outside.
"You will stay here," Nereus said, pushing them inside.
"Elara. Hope. This is the safest room in the palace. No magic or physical attack can breach these walls."
"But brother!" Elara protested. "I want to fight! I'm a Princess!"
"You are a target!" Nereus shouted. "You are one of the things the Octopus want, Elara. Your blood! If they capture you, you know what they can do."
He inhaled sharply and turned to Hope.
He gripped Hope's shoulders.
"Architect… Hope. I trust you. My sister is in your care. Even if an army stands outside that door, do not let anyone enter."
"Understood," Hope replied. "What about my team? Lypin. Deniz."
"I'll have them secured and sent here as soon as possible," Nereus said. "Until then… do not leave. Do not."
The door shut.
CLICK. VZZZT.
Silence.
The chamber was spacious. There was enough room in the center for training, and seating areas lined the walls. Through the reinforced windows, Atlantis shimmered outside, though the glass was so thick that none of the chaos could be heard.
Elara began pacing, biting her nails.
"I can't believe this… How did they get in? Father's shields are impenetrable. It's impossible. There must be a traitor."
Hope stood by the door, analyzing the room.
"Panicking is inefficient, Elara," he said calmly. "The prince will regain control."
"You don't understand!" Elara snapped, turning to him. Fear flickered in her eyes. "The Octopus are monsters, Hope. They are the twisted, dark reflection of the Sirens. Centuries ago, they tried to enslave Leviathans using forbidden magic. When my father exiled them, they swore they would return and paint the ocean black."
She shivered.
"If that shadow was truly one of them… then Atlantis has already fallen."
Hope stepped closer and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Atlantis won't fall," he said. "I'm here. My team is here. The prince is here."
He walked toward the open space in the center.
"And if they come… we need to be ready."
Elara looked up. "What do you mean?"
Hope summoned his scythe. Green flames illuminated the Pearl Chamber.
"The prince said to train while we're inside. Sitting around while a battle rages outside isn't in my nature."
He pointed the scythe at her.
"Show me that 'Siren Magic' you mentioned. The technique you tried in the pool. If I'm going to protect you, I need to know how strong you really are."
Elara blinked in surprise.
Then a small smile formed. The fear faded, replaced by that familiar competitive spark.
"You want to fight me, Architect?" she asked, tearing part of her dress for better mobility. "I warn you. I won't be as gentle as those copies."
"I don't want gentle," Hope said. "Knock me down. If you can."
Elara took a deep breath.
She raised both hands.
Water from the decorative pools rose into the air. But this time it wasn't soft.
It sharpened.
It hardened.
It transformed into spears and whips of ice.
[OCEAN'S WRATH: LEVEL 1]
"Let's begin."
Hope moved first.
He lunged forward, swinging his scythe—not to wound, but to intimidate.
Elara didn't move.
She snapped her fingers.
SLAP!
His scythe struck a mass of water that had frozen midair. It felt like hitting concrete.
"Water is not just fluid, Hope," Elara said, her movements almost graceful. "Water is pressure."
She pushed her hand forward.
The frozen mass exploded outward, launching Hope back.
He flipped midair and landed smoothly.
"Good," he grinned. "Very good."
He attacked again, activating his System abilities. Blue veins lit up across his skin.
"Water current from the right… dodge left."
He slipped past one whip, cut another, slid beneath a third.
He closed the distance.
"Got you!"
Elara smiled.
"Do you?"
Her body liquefied instantly.
Hope's scythe passed straight through her.
She reformed at the other side of the room from a pool of water.
[SIREN FORM]
"You cannot touch me, Architect," Elara said. "I am the ocean itself."
"That's cheating!" Hope shouted. "How am I supposed to hit you?!"
"There is no cheating in battle."
She brought her hands together.
All the water in the room gathered into a massive sphere.
"Time to drown."
She hurled it at him.
Hope tried to evade, but the water sphere followed him, engulfing him completely.
He was suspended inside.
No air.
No movement.
He tried to swing his scythe, but the resistance was crushing.
Elara stepped closer, pressing a finger against the surface of the sphere.
"Yield," she said softly. "Or I will turn the air in your lungs into water."
Hope struggled.
Blue veins flared.
System… find a way… reverse the pressure…
He focused all his mana into a single point.
[EXPLOSION]
Green flames erupted from within, shattering the sphere.
Water crashed to the floor.
Hope fell, coughing.
Before he could rise—
Elara stood above him.
A blade of hardened water pressed against his throat.
Hope lay on his back. Elara leaned over him, one foot planted against his chest.
Her eyes shimmered. Her wet hair clung to her face. Victory radiated from her.
"You're dead," she said, breathless.
Hope looked at the cold water blade at his throat. Then at her eyes.
He had lost.
Not by strategy.
Not by trickery.
But by pure talent and magic.
"Alright," Hope said, raising his hands in surrender. "You win."
Elara smiled. She withdrew the blade but kept her foot on his chest.
"See?" she leaned closer. "You don't need to protect me, Architect. Maybe… you're the one who needs me."
Hope looked at her.
His heart pounded wildly—from exhaustion… and perhaps something else.
"Maybe," he said.
And then—
The walls trembled.
A heavy explosion echoed from outside.
BOOM.
Elara's smile vanished. She stepped off him and rushed to the window.
"The shields…" she whispered.
"The palace shields are broken."
Hope stood, gripping his scythe.
The game was over.
The real war had begun.