Trial by Tide

The air within the cave was thick with the scent of salt and something ancient, something that hummed with a power Althea had only felt in the deepest parts of her dreams. Water dripped from unseen stalactites, each drop echoing like a tiny bell in the vast darkness. Beside her, Cris’s hand was a warm anchor in the gloom, his presence a steady thrum against her own racing heart. They had navigated the treacherous path from the Serpent's Lair, following the faint, phosphorescent glow that marked the entrance to this new, unknown passage.

"Are you certain about this, Althea?" Cris’s voice was a low rumble, laced with a concern that went beyond the immediate peril. It was the same concern he’d shown when the currents threatened to pull her from the royal barge, or when a sudden squall had whipped the sea into a frenzy during one of their secret escapes.

Althea squeezed his hand, her own fingers tracing the cool, smooth skin. "We have to be, Cris. The Oracle said the artifact lies within a place of trials. This has to be it." She glanced at him, her eyes, accustomed to the dim light, finding the familiar, reassuring lines of his face. His brow was furrowed, his gaze fixed on the path ahead, but she felt the tension coiled within him, a coiled spring of power barely held in check.