The ocean’s surface rippled, darkening like ink spreading through water. Then, with a slow, dreadful rise, something massive emerged from the depths.

  A kraken.

  Its slimy, black body glistened under the daylight, its skin marred with deep scars, as if it had fought countless battles before. Its enormous tentacles, covered in sickly pale suction cups, coiled and uncoiled, each movement sending waves crashing against the ship. The stench of salt and decay filled the air as it revealed itself further, its monstrous, beady eyes gleaming like lanterns in the mist. A deep, guttural noise rumbled from its beak-like mouth as it loomed over the ship.

  For a moment, silence.

  Then—chaos.

  Those with magic wasted no time fleeing. Some transformed into birds, their wings carrying them far from danger. Others vanished in bursts of light or shadows, teleporting away with no concern for those left behind. The rest? They scrambled to the farthest corners of the ship, screaming in terror. Some brave—or foolish—souls attempted to fight back, hurling spells or swinging their weapons at the creature, but their attacks barely left a mark on its thick, rubbery hide.

  Meanwhile, the captain, a burly man with a thick, greying beard, stormed down from his post and smacked the helmsman across the head.

  “You absolute idiot!” the captain roared. “You sailed us near the Yro-Ei boundary?! You know damn well that continent ain’t as safe as it used to be!”

  The helmsman, still gripping the wheel, winced. “A passenger specifically requested to stop at Yro-Ei! Paid a huge sum of gold for it!”

  The captain’s face twisted in disbelief. “What kind of madman would want to go to Yro-Ei?!”

  Before the helmsman could answer, a massive tentacle launched itself toward the ship—straight for Stefan.

  Vul saw it first.

  Without hesitation, she shoved Stefan out of the way.

  The tentacle coiled around her instead.

  “VUL!” Stefan’s voice cracked as he lunged for her, grabbing onto her arm. But the kraken was stronger. Its slimy appendage tightened around her small frame and yanked her off the deck.

  Vul was dragged down.

  Stefan clenched his jaw, his grip slipping as the ocean threatened to swallow her whole.

  He took a deep breath, forcing himself to think. His eyes darted to Anna, who stood frozen at the scene.

  “Can you keep the kraken’s tentacles from wrecking the ship?!” he barked.

  Anna snapped out of it, nodding quickly. “Go rescue that girl. I’ll handle this.”

  Stefan pulled out his Igniter sword, its steel gleaming under the sun. He smirked. “Already ahead of you.”

  The icy depths of the ocean swallowed Vul whole as she was dragged further and further down. The water grew darker, the sunlight above fading into nothing but a distant shimmer. The pressure squeezed at her chest, making it harder to breathe. The kraken’s monstrous tentacle coiled around her waist like an iron vice, its slimy texture pressing against her skin. She thrashed and kicked, but the grip wouldn’t budge.

  Gritting her teeth, she fumbled to open her leather bag, her fingers numb from the cold. The moment she pried it open, a faint glow pulsed from within. The small dragon, once nestled safely inside, disintegrated into glowing embers, each ash-like spark swirling and dancing in the water like tiny fireflies. The embers drifted toward Vul, wrapping around her shoulder like a swirling galaxy before sinking into her skin. The familiar, intricate tattoo of a dragon resurfaced on her back, burning faintly before settling into place.

  But there was no time to think about that.

  As she lifted her gaze, she spotted something above—a silhouette.

  A man.

  He was swimming toward her, cutting through the water with powerful strokes, but he was still too far. The ocean stretched endlessly between them, an abyss separating her from the surface.

  She gritted her teeth and thrashed harder.

  But it was useless.

  No matter how much she fought, the kraken’s grip refused to loosen. The weight of the ocean, the suffocating stillness, the way she couldn’t do anything—it was all starting to frustrate her.

  Annoying.

  Vul bared her fangs, her red eyes flashing with defiance. She wasn’t going to let some overgrown squid drag her down to the bottom of the ocean.

  Beneath the crushing weight of the ocean, Vul’s body tensed as her tattoo burned with sudden light. The inky black water around her began to shimmer with a glow—faint at first, but quickly brightening until it illuminated the surrounding deep. The dragon-shaped mark on her back pulsed, glowing gold and red as if fire coursed through her veins. The light bled through her clothes, casting flickering scales of gold across her skin.

  Then—with a force that shook the water—massive dragon wings erupted from her back

  he kraken’s tentacle loosened for a heartbeat, startled by the sudden surge of magic. Vul took the chance.

  Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  With one powerful flap, she blasted herself free of the tentacle’s grasp, bubbles swirling around her as she rocketed upward, her wings beating furiously. Her eyes narrowed as she spotted the silhouette again—closer this time. It was Stefan.

  His eyes widened as she reached him. For a moment, he just stared, stunned by the glowing wings unfurling behind her.

  “Come on,” Vul muttered underwater, grabbing his hand firmly.

  With a powerful push of her wings, she soared them both upwards—cutting through the ocean like a blazing arrow—breaking through the surface with a crash of water and light. They didn’t stop there. Her wings lifted them high above the deck, water dripping from their clothes as the startled crew and passengers looked up.

  From below, Anna caught a glimpse of them and nearly lost focus on her spellcasting. Her eyes widened as she pointed.

  “Your daughter can fly?!”

  Stefan and Vul landed with a heavy thud on the deck. Vul let go of his hand and stood steady, wings slowly folding behind her.

  “She’s not my daughter,” Stefan muttered, still trying to catch his breath, “I’m just… looking after her.”

  Anna raised a brow, her eyes darting back to Vul, who stood tall and surprisingly calm for someone who had just been swallowed by the sea. “Could’ve fooled me,” Anna said with a smirk. “She doesn’t look like she needs much looking after.”

  Stefan glanced at Vul again. His gaze lingered on the wings, still faintly glowing at the tips. His heart pounded—not from the near-death experience, but from how casually she had turned the tide.

  “You’re… full of surprises,” he said under his breath.

  But the danger hadn’t passed.

  Anna’s eyes snapped to a flicker of movement in the air. “Incoming!” she shouted, spinning around just in time. Another slimy tentacle came crashing toward them. She thrust her wooden staff forward, shouting something in a language older than the wind. A bolt of pure white magic surged from the tip of her staff, slamming into the tentacle with a deafening crack. Light exploded from the impact, the tentacle recoiling instantly, black flesh sizzling and smoking.

  More tendrils emerged, swiping across the deck with deadly intent. Anna quickly raised her staff again and muttered another spell. A shimmering barrier enveloped the three of them—a dome of swirling light that deflected the incoming strike just in time.

  “I think it’s after you, Stefan!” Anna shouted, gritting her teeth. “Most of the passengers are untouched, and the ship’s still in one piece!”

  Outside the barrier, the kraken screeched. Another tentacle rose from the waves.

  Stefan stood still for a second, watching the chaos unfold, his fingers wrapped tightly around the hilt of his Igniter sword. His eyes shifted to Vul, then slowly down to the blade in his hand. He stared at it like it was an old friend—one that had been with him through everything. With a quiet, dry smile, he muttered under his breath, “It’s been fun.”

  Turning to Vul, his tone was calm but firm. “Can you fly me on top of the kraken’s mouth?”

  Vul’s eyes lit up at his words. For the first time, he wasn’t just protecting her—he was relying on her. She nodded eagerly, wings already spreading wide. Without hesitation, she took his hand in hers, both of them looking over at Anna, who still held the magical barrier around them.

  Anna pointed her staff and called out, “On the count of three—!”

  Before she could even say “one,” the pair was already bracing themselves. The instant Anna shouted “three!” Vul launched them high into the air, wings flapping with strength and speed, wind whipping around them as they ascended into the sky.

  “Can you get me any closer?” Stefan shouted above the wind.

  “I will!” Vul replied, pushing herself faster.

  But the kraken wasn’t going to let them near that easily.

  From the depths below, multiple tentacles shot up—long, thick, and writhing like angry snakes. They whipped at the air, some crashing into each other as they tried to block Vul’s path. She veered sharply to the left, then the right, trying to weave through the chaotic swarm of limbs. Every second, a new one shot toward them, forcing Vul to twist, dip, and swerve midair.

  Then—whack!

  One of the tentacles slammed against them and wrapped around Stefan’s leg, yanking him downward. Vul cried out, tightening her grip on his hand, trying to keep him from being pulled away. But in focusing on him, she didn’t see the other tentacle coming from ahead—until it was too late.

  A blast of white magic suddenly shot through the air, slicing clean through the tentacle that tried to strike Vul. The glowing spell burned as it tore through the flesh, and Stefan’s leg was freed in the same instant.

  They both looked down and saw Anna on the deck, her staff glowing brightly in her hand. She winked at them with a quick smirk before firing another white-hot blast at a different tentacle.

  Around her, several brave passengers began to fight back. A rugged dwarf hurled an axe straight into one tentacle, while a woman in travel leathers flung glowing daggers with perfect aim. A mage near the mast chanted quickly and sent waves of fire at the creature, lighting up the sky with orange bursts.

  With the moment open, Vul didn’t hesitate. She shot straight ahead, aiming to get Stefan just above the kraken’s massive, gaping maw. But just before they could reach it—another tentacle whipped out from below.

  It wrapped tightly around Vul’s legs mid-flight and yanked her down with terrifying force.

  “Vul!” Stefan shouted as her hand slipped from his.

  She disappeared into the waves below, wings vanishing beneath the surface.

  Stefan, tumbling through the air from the sudden drop, barely had time to react—until his fall was broken by a soft, wet slap.

  He landed hard on one of the kraken’s slimy tentacles. His body slid slightly from the muck but he managed to dig his sword into the flesh to keep from falling off.

  Panting, drenched, and alone on the creature now, Stefan gritted his teeth.

  He wasn’t done yet.

  Stefan stood on the slick, slimy surface of the kraken’s tentacle, gripping his sword tightly as he glanced down at the ocean. His heart pounded in his chest.

  "Come on, Vul," he muttered to himself. "Be okay."

  But there was no time to wait.

  With a sharp breath, Stefan broke into a sprint across the writhing mass of flesh, heading straight for the kraken’s head. The tentacle under his feet heaved and jerked, nearly flinging him off, but he kept his balance, leaping from one thick limb to the next like a practiced acrobat. More tentacles shot up in front of him, trying to swat him down like a fly. One almost clipped his shoulder, but he ducked just in time, sliding under it and vaulting over another.

  Every few seconds, he had to dodge, twist, and stab his blade into the flesh just to keep from flying off. One tentacle coiled up to trap him, but he flipped over it, landing hard and rolling forward, never breaking pace.

  He was close now. The kraken’s massive, grotesque head loomed just ahead—its skin glistening, its eyes pulsing like wet lanterns.

  But then… the ocean near the side of the ship began to hiss.

  Steam rose as the surface started to bubble and churn. Then a red glow—faint at first—began to pulse from below, getting brighter and brighter like lava about to burst from the sea.

  And then—

  Vul shot out of the water with a scream, her dragon wings flaring behind her.

  Her hands were glowing red, molten hot, and smoke curled from her palms. Her eyes burned with fury, glowing like twin coals, and her teeth clenched in a snarl. She held the tentacle that had dragged her down—and it was burning in her grip. The thick flesh sizzled and cracked under her heat, blackening and peeling like scorched bark. The kraken bellowed in agony, its cry echoing through the air as it writhed violently, thrashing in pain.

  That was Stefan’s cue.

  He reached the head, eyes focused, his steps sure. Without hesitation, he raised his sword and with a final grunt of effort, hurled it straight into the kraken’s open, screaming mouth.

  “Igniter…” he whispered, eyes locked on the glowing blade disappearing down its throat, “Self-destruct.”

  There was a moment of silence.

  Then—

  BOOM.

  A fiery explosion burst from the kraken’s mouth, engulfing its massive head in a blinding light. Smoke and fire shot skyward as chunks of its flesh splattered into the ocean.