Chapter 2: What's in the trench
The three had been swimming for a while now. Along the way, of course Zammon
kept on complaining.
Yet he never dared to turn back.
Not when he's this close to Andromeda. Not when his enemy is here. Then most
definitely when he has never been in this part of the sea.
âYou know you twoâ Andromeda started, breaking the silence. âYou guys always
go on about hating each other, yet here you guys both are.â
âThats because Zammon doesnât know how to back offâ Cryolith scoffed
âCryolith is just as bad.â Zammon muttered. âHe follows you like a creepâ
âYou do too. So donât start nowâ
Andromeda sighed, getting a bit annoyed. She wasnât going to let those two ruin
her evening.
âWould you guys knock it off already? This is unnecessary. You are acting like
childrenâ Andromeda said, sternly to the group
âZammon is the real child hereâ Cryolith commented, turning his head to the side
âCryo- Not now. Stop upsetting himâ
âYeah, Cryolith. Stop upsetting meâ Zammon said with a smirk
âZammon, you stop provoking him into doing itâ
Both Zammon and Cryolith had finally fallen silent. wonderful, Andromeda could
enjoy the silence, and just how she likes it.
âThank you boysâŠâ She said quietlyâ
Cryolith smiled happily âAnything for you my lady.â He responded
For a moment, the ocean returned to silence.
Only the slow rhythm of the currents surrounded them as the three leviathans
continued their descent. The water grew darker the deeper they traveled, the
faint surface light long since fading into a dull gray far above.
Below them, the ocean floor began to fall away.
The trench.
It opened like a wound in the sea, a massive crack stretching farther than even
Zammonâs sharp eyes could see. The water around it twisted strangely, slow
spirals of current moving in directions they shouldnât.
Andromeda slowed.
Her massive body drifted to a gentle stop near the edge of the drop, her gaze
fixed on the dark abyss below.
Zammon immediately moved closer beside her, peering over the edge with
curiosity.
âWell,â he muttered, âthatâs⊠deeper than I expected.â
Cryolith hovered on the other side of Andromeda, silent for once as his sharp
gaze studied the trench.
The water here felt wrong.
Not dangerous.
Just⊠wrong.
Zammon flicked his tail slowly, feeling the currents brush across his scales.
âOkay,â he said after a moment. âYeah, thatâs definitely strange.â
The currents didnât flow naturally. Instead of moving with the slow pull of the
tides, they curled inward toward the trench like something below was quietly
breathing. In.
Out.
In.
Out.
Zammon frowned.
ââŠYou feel that, right?â
Cryolith nodded once.
âI do.â
Andromedaâs calm expression had shifted slightly. Not fear â she wasnât the kind
of creature that feared easily â but careful attention.
âI passed near here several days ago,â she said softly. âThe trench wasnât doing
this.â
Zammon leaned forward a little farther, staring down into the darkness.
âHow deep do you think it goes?â
Cryolith answered flatly.
âDeeper than you should be sticking your head.â
Zammon shot him a look.
âOh relax. Iâm just looking.â
The water suddenly shifted.
Not violently.
Just a small ripple.
But it came from deep below them.
All three leviathans froze. The ripple climbed slowly upward through the trench like a pulse through the
ocean.
Zammonâs grin faded.
ââŠThat wasnât the current.â
âNo,â Cryolith agreed quietly.
Andromedaâs gaze remained fixed on the abyss.
Something moved far below.
Not clearly.
Just a shape.
A shadow inside the shadow.
Zammon squinted, trying to make it out.
ââŠTell me thatâs just a rock.â
Cryolith did not answer.
Because the shadow moved again.
Andromeda spoke softly, her voice lower than before.
âWeâre not alone down here.â
Zammon blinked.
Then slowly smiled again.
ââŠOh this day just keeps getting better.â
Cryolith glanced at him.
âYou're enjoying this.â
âA little.â
Andromeda sighed quietly. âYou two are impossible.â
But even she didnât move away from the trench.
Because whatever was below them⊠Was starting to move upward.
Cryolith was first to speak after their long silence
âI vote for Zammon to go down first.â He said proudly
Zammonâs head quickly snapped to Cryolith
âLike Hell I am!â
Zammon scoffed, and Andromeda moved down closer to the trench
âMy lady, you think thatâs a good idea? Go closer to what we donât know is down
thereâ said Cryolith
Andromeda slowly looked up at Cryolith
âWe donât know if we donât exploreâŠâ She started quietly. It as clear she as on
edge
The water around the trench shifted again.
Slowly.
Almost like something far below had turned in its sleep.
Zammon watched Andromeda drift closer to the edge and immediately moved
after her, his massive body sliding through the dark water.
âOkay, hold on,â he said quickly. âExploring is fine. I like exploring. Exploring is
great.â
He glanced down into the endless black trench.
ââŠBut maybe we explore with a plan.â
Cryolith gave a quiet, amused huff.
âOh? And you suddenly have one?â Zammon flicked his tail irritably.
âYes, actually.â
Cryolith raised a brow ridge.
âIâm listening.â
Zammon pointed one clawed fin dramatically downward.
âYou go first.â
Cryolith stared at him.
ââŠYou just repeated my plan.â
âExactly,â Zammon replied smoothly. âWhich means it was a good plan.â
Andromeda let out a soft laugh despite herself.
The sound drifted gently through the dark water.
âYou two are unbelievable,â she said.
But her eyes returned to the trench.
The currents there twisted again, stronger this time, pulling slowly downward.
Something deep below shifted once more.
Cryolith noticed it immediately.
His playful expression faded slightly as his gaze sharpened.
ââŠItâs moving again.â
Zammon stopped joking.
âYeah,â he muttered.
Andromeda slowly lowered herself closer to the edge of the trench, her
enormous silhouette hovering above the abyss. The darkness below seemed almost alive, swallowing what little light existed in
the deep ocean.
Zammon floated beside her, staring downward.
ââŠThat is very deep.â
Cryolith drifted to Andromedaâs other side.
For once, neither leviathan argued.
All three of them watched the trench in silence.
Thenâ
The water pulsed again.
Stronger this time.
A deep vibration rolled upward through the ocean like distant thunder.
Fish scattered in sudden panic from the trench walls.
Zammonâs eyes widened slightly.
ââŠOkay.â
Another pulse.
The current suddenly dragged downward for a brief moment before releasing
again.
Even Cryolith shifted slightly in the water.
âThatâs not natural.â
Andromeda spoke quietly.
âNo.â
Far below them, something massive turned.
Not quickly. Not violently.
But slowly enough that the entire trench seemed to breathe with it.
Zammon leaned forward again, squinting into the darkness.
Then he muttered under his breathâ
ââŠThat better not be another leviathan.â
Cryolith didnât answer.
Andromeda didnât move.
Because deep inside the trenchâ
Two enormous eyes slowly opened.
Zammon had quickly moved far away backward
âThat canât be who I think it is!â
Andromeda had responded
âThe only other Leviathan in the whole sea but us isâŠâ
The three spoke at once
âFatherâŠâ
The waters shivered as a shadow moved beneath them.
Whispers of a name, long feared and almost forgotten, rippled through the
currents
Yvarion - the one born of the abyss, ruler of the seas. Even the bravest trembled
at the thought of his gaze.
The currents around them thickened, curling like coiling serpents, as if the ocean
itself was bending to Yvarionâs presence. Light from above barely reached the
edges of the abyss now, swallowed by shadow. Zammonâs massive body tensed. His tail flicked nervously, sending ripples
through the water.
âI⊠I thought he was just a myth,â Zammon muttered, his voice low and shaky.
Cryolithâs gaze was sharp, calculating. âMyth or not, heâs here. And he knows we
are.â
Andromedaâs eyes glimmered faintly, reflecting the faint shimmer of the trench
walls. âWe have no choice,â she whispered. âWe canât turn back now. Not without
answers.â
Another ripple surged from the depths, larger this time, pushing all three
leviathans back slightly. The shadow below moved againâimpossibly fast for
something of that size, yet deliberate.
Zammon swallowed hard, though his pride wouldnât let him show it. ââŠFather,â
he repeated, his voice barely a rumble. âWhy now? Why here?â
Andromeda drifted closer to him, her presence steadying. âBecause the currents
led us to him,â she said softly. âAnd he has been waiting.â
Cryolith remained still, eyes narrowed. âWaiting⊠for us?â
The trench seemed to exhale. A massive fin, larger than any Zammon had ever
seen, cut through the dark water below, followed by another. Andromeda
shivered slightly despite her composure.
ââŠHeâs bigger than I remember,â Zammon muttered.
âHeâs older than any of us,â Andromeda corrected, her voice barely above the
hum of the deep.
A deep, low rumble rolled upward from the abyssâa sound that vibrated in their
bones, in their scales, and in the very currents themselves. The sea whispered
his name again: Yvarion.
Zammon and Cryolith exchanged a glance, one unspoken thought passing
between them: We are not ready for this.
Yet there was no turning back. Cryolith quickly turned his massive body around and tried swimming away⊠yet
it didnât work?
Cryolithâs body was slowly moving backwards⊠the water was sucking him in?
âCrap!â Cryolithâs body was suddenly pulled by a strong force, sucked in fast.
You could barely notice that his body was sucked into the trench below the three
Cryolith was goneâŠ
Zammon and Andromeda stared at each other in silence then Andromeda yelled
out
âCryolith!â
Zammonâs massive eyes widened, his body frozen mid-swim.
âCryolith!â he bellowed, his voice vibrating through the currents, but it was
swallowed instantly by the darkness below.
The water around the trench churned violently, pulling at him now as well. His tail
thrashed, sending torrents of swirling currents outward, but the pull was
relentless.
Andromedaâs fins beat faster, creating a protective current around Zammon.
âStay calm!â she shouted, her voice steady but urgent. âItâs the trenchâitâs not
just empty water down there!â
Zammon gritted his teeth, muscles coiling as he tried to fight the invisible force.
But it was like swimming through syrup. Every movement brought him only
inches forward, while the pull tugged stronger, downward, into the abyss.
The currents thickened, twisting and curling, carrying a faint, ominous hum.
ââŠHeâs forcing us in,â Zammon muttered, his voice low and tense. âSomethingâŠ
someoneâŠâ
Andromedaâs gaze turned downward, her calm façade cracking just slightly.
âIt has to be him,â she said quietly. âYvarionâŠâ The name alone seemed to make the currents pulse harder, stronger. The trench
itself vibrated, like the sea was alive and aware of their presence.
Zammon tried one last desperate stroke, flicking his tail with all the strength he
had. The water around him screamed as the force tugged at him, faster now,
pulling him toward the darkness.
And thenâa shadow rose from the abyss.
A shape so massive it could blot out the surrounding currents. Eyes, older than
time itself, opened beneath them, glowing faintly in the black water.
Yvarion.
The sea seemed to shrink around him, the currents bowing to his presence. Even
Andromeda and Zammon felt it, a weight pressing on them, testing their resolve.
Zammonâs roar echoed through the water, more a mixture of fear and frustration
than anger.
âCryolith!â he shouted again, struggling against the pull.
The shadow moved. Slowly. Deliberately.
Andromedaâs voice was barely audible over the low, resonant vibrations.
âHold on⊠we have to see him⊠we have no choice.â
Zammonâs gaze locked on the abyss below, where the pull grew stronger, and a
part of himâthe reckless, curious partâthrilled at the danger.
But another partâthe part that had watched Cryolith vanish without a
traceâquivered with the knowledge that the depths they had entered were no
longer just mysterious.
They were alive.
And Yvarion was waiting.
Andromeda had suddenly lost all power in her body, and then got sucked in
Her massive body hit Zammonâs in the process, which then threw him off The pair started sinking into the trench at abnormal speed, and strength
âDamn it!â Yelled Zammon as they went deeper
. . . .
Water whipped past them in dizzying currents, dragging Zammon and
Andromeda deeper into the trench. Pressure built around their massive forms,
bending the very flow of the ocean.
Zammonâs eyes narrowed, scales bristling as he fought to stabilize his body.
âHold on, Andromeda! Donât⊠donât let go!â he roared, tail slashing to cut against
the pullâbut the trenchâs force was relentless.
Andromeda groaned, her normally graceful movements reduced to panicked
flails. âItâs⊠too strongâŠâ Her voice trembled, but there was a hint of
determination beneath it. âWe⊠we have to keep moving⊠together.â
They collided again mid-fall, the impact jarring enough to send shockwaves
through their bones. Zammon hissed, a mixture of pain and frustration. âGreatâŠ
just great!â
The shadow below loomed closer. Yvarionâs massive form shifted, currents rolling
off him like tidal waves. Each movement seemed deliberate, a predator testing its
prey before the final strike.
âFatherâŠâ Andromeda whispered, the word barely escaping her lips as awe and
fear tangled together.
Zammonâs gaze hardened. He clenched his massive fins, refusing to give in to
panic. âNot⊠happening⊠not to us!â he growled. Every muscle strained against
the pull, his body scraping along jagged trench walls as they fell further.
The trench seemed bottomless, darkness wrapping around them like a living
thing. Faint, glowing eyes of Yvarion tracked them, ancient and knowing.
A low vibration rolled through the waterâa warning, or a test. Zammon gritted his
teeth and shot a glance at Andromeda.
âWe⊠we need a plan!â he shouted. Andromedaâs eyes met his, still wide but focused. âThereâs⊠a current behind
him⊠use it! We can push against his pull!â
Zammonâs tail whipped violently, cutting into the swirling waters. He angled
himself slightly, trying to redirect the momentumâbut the force dragging them
downward was monstrous, relentless.
Yvarionâs presence pressed closer, a weight that made even Zammonâs stubborn
heart skip. The shadow beneath them stretched impossibly long, a reminder that
they were not in control.
âDamn it!â Zammon roared again, forcing every ounce of power into his limbs.
âWeâre not done yet!â
The trench responded, currents twisting around them, testing their strength. And
yetâdespite the chaos, Zammon noticed Andromeda wasnât giving up.
Her fin brushed his side in a small, reassuring touch, a silent message: we
survive this together.
But the deeper they sank, the more they realized something chilling: they were
entering a realm that even the legends of the sea whispered about.
Yvarionâs domain.
And it had no intention of letting them leave.
Suddenly, just when they thought they would win.
A large, long, thick object had hit them both at the same time.
It was bound to be Yvarionâs tailâŠ
Zammonâs body reacted first, as all air left his body, and he passed out.
Andromeda was barely awake.
Yet they both fell down into the trench, Andromeda fallen unconscious mid fall
Fast and not wanted.
After what seemed like forever, neither knew how long it truly was. Andromeda woke up quickly, gasping as her fin flew to her chest.
She was woken by Cryolith who was leaning over he laid down body on the
bottom of the trench floor
âC-Cryolith..?â Andromeda said still gasping for air
âMorning, my ladyâŠâ
Andromedaâs gaze widened as she took in Cryolithâs massive form. He was
bruised and battered, but alive. The pull of the trench currents had finally
released himâor at least slowed enough for him to regain some control.
âYou⊠youâre okay?â she asked, still trembling, fin brushing against her chest.
Cryolith gave a faint smirk, though it didnât quite reach his eyes. âIâm always okay,
my lady,â he said, voice low but steady. âJust⊠a little less comfortable than
usual.â
Andromedaâs fins twitched, scanning the darkness around them. The trench floor
was littered with jagged rock, shadowy ridges, and currents that still pulsed like
the heartbeat of some massive creature. Somewhere above, she could feel the
faint thrum of Yvarionâs presence, a weight that pressed down on the very water.
ââŠZammon,â she whispered, panic creeping back in. âWhere is he?â
Cryolith glanced upward. âStill out cold,â he muttered. âBut heâll wake. He always
does.â
Andromedaâs gaze swept the trench, eyes narrowing. âWe canât stay here,â she
said firmly. âYvarionâheâs not just playing around. Heâs testing us. Or worse.â
Cryolith nodded slowly, tail brushing the rocks beneath him as he shifted closer to
her. âI know,â he said. âBut for now⊠we need to regroup. Wake Zammon and get
moving before the currents drag us further down.â
A faint vibration rolled through the trench again, subtle but ominous. Even
Cryolith flinched slightly this time.
Andromedaâs fins clenched. âWe need a plan,â she muttered, voice tight. âAnd we
need it fast.â Cryolithâs eyes gleamed in the dim light. âThen letâs wake the big oaf,â he said
with a wry grin. âBefore our friendly neighborhood abyss decides weâre too
interesting to let live.â
And somewhere above them, Zammon stirred, his enormous body twitching as
consciousness began to claw its way back.
As Zammonâs body slowly twitched in pain, he slowly floated up off the trench
floor.
He looked around, confused as Hell
âWhat the HellâŠ?â Zammon looked behind and eyes locked onto Andromeda, he
quickly swam closer, in clear pain
âGuys? What happened?â Zammon asked
âWhat happened, was us getting stuck somewhere we shouldnât be, but he wants
is hereâ Cryolith commented
Zammonâs massive eyes scanned the trench floor. Darkness stretched endlessly
in every direction, broken only by faint pulses of shadow and the jagged outlines
of rock. The currents here were slower than the free-fall theyâd just endured, but
they still felt aliveâwatching, waiting.
He flexed his fins experimentally, wincing as every movement sent shocks of pain
through his body. ââŠAndromeda⊠you okay?â he asked, glancing at her.
Andromeda floated beside him, her form trembling slightly. âI⊠Iâm fine,â she
said, though her voice held a note of strain. âWe⊠we need to move carefully.
Yvarion is here⊠somewhere.â
Zammonâs gaze flicked to Cryolith, who floated with a casual ease that belied the
tension in the trench. âAnd you⊠youâre just chillinâ, huh?â Zammon muttered,
voice strained but incredulous.
Cryolith smirked faintly. âSomebody has to stay calm while the drama unfolds,â he
replied smoothly. âTrust me, big guy, panicking wonât make him go away.â
Zammon growled low in his throat, tail flicking irritably. ââŠIâm not panicking. IâmâŠ
assessing.â Andromedaâs eyes narrowed, scanning the shadowed depths. âWe donât know
what he wants,â she said quietly. âBut we canât stay here. The longer we linger,
the more control he has over the currents.â
Zammon groaned, muscles tensing. âGreat⊠so what now? Do we swim blindly
and hope for the best?â
Cryolith shook his head. âNo. We move together, slow and deliberate. Watch the
currents. Stay aware of the vibrations. And above allâdonât provoke him.â
Zammon blinked, incredulous. âDonât provoke him? Are you serious? Heâs
Yvarion! Heâs a nightmare in the sea!â
Andromeda drifted closer to Zammon, her gaze calm but intense. âExactly. And
thatâs why we need to be smart. Heâs testing us, but he wonât strike recklesslyâŠ
not yet.â
Zammon exhaled sharply, fin brushing against his chest. ââŠFine. But if he tries to
hit me againââ
Cryolith interrupted smoothly. âThen you hit back. But carefully. Together.â
A low, vibrating rumble echoed through the trench floor, and all three leviathans
stiffened. The shadows seemed to pulse with life, creeping closer as if Yvarion
himself were observing their every movement.
Zammonâs eyes narrowed, jaw tightening. ââŠWell then. Letâs see what weâre
really dealing with.â
Andromedaâs fins clenched. âStay close. Watch the currents. And⊠be ready.â
The three of them moved forward, cautiously, into the black abyss. Somewhere
below, Yvarion waited, and the trench itself seemed to hum with anticipation.















