Chapter 73 The damned ocean ii
Kael held Hazel’s hand like she would disappear if he let her go.
“You promise”?
He asked, his voice barely holding together.
“You promise you’ll come back”?
He asked, his eyes pleading for answers he knew she didn't have.
“I promise”.
She said softly.
“I’ve fought too hard to disappear now”.
Kael pulled her into his chest, holding her tighter than he ever had before. For a brief moment, Hazel let herself melt into him, memorizing his scent, his warmth, the steady rhythm of his heart before Zariel suddenly took over again.
“Okay, that's enough, your wife isn't in control anymore”.
Kael let her go as soon as he heard Zariel's voice.
He looked at her for a pretty long time as though he wanted to memorize every part of her face over again before he spoke.
“Bring her back”.
He said and Zariel looked at him seriously before she spoke.
“I will do everything in my power to bring her back with me… alive”.
Kael exhaled deeply, he knew the only choice he had now was to trust whatever it was that was inside his wife.
Zariel turned back to Dona for precision.
“When do we leave?”
Dona’s eyes tilted toward the horizon, as if she could already hear the ocean calling.
“Tonight”.
She said and turned back to them.
“Just like the werewolves, the damned ocean listens most clearly when the moon is at its highest. You should get ready to leave as soon as it is okay to”.
Deep down, Kael wished the moon wouldn't rise, but it seemed to have risen even faster than he expected.
By nightfall, Hazel stood barefoot at the edge of the blackened shore.
The sand felt like they were living, like they were moving.
They were sharp, cold, and humming faintly beneath her feet.
As soon as Hazel placed her feet on the water, the water recognized her presence and began swirling.
It was swirling so much until it created a deep dark hole.
“What's going on? Do I have to swim to that”?
Hazel asked but Zariel seemed to have a different idea.
“Nope, we don't need to swim, we… FLY”!!!
As soon as the word fly came out of her mouth, she jumped up from the floor, going so high until she could vividly see the dark hole.
Hazel was still preparing herself mentally but Zariel wasn't wasting any time.
“Wooo”!!!
She exclaimed happily before diving right into the hole.
Kael who had followed her to the beach moved forward instinctively but as soon as Hazel's body went into the dark hole, the waters became calm and the hole closed up almost immediately.
As soon as she dives into the ocean, she got control of her body again but she could still clearly hear Zariel in her head. It was like the ocean was giving her more powers, even more than she thought she could ever have.
“You feel the pull now, don’t you”?
Zariel asked
“Yes, it feels… familiar, like a home I didn't know I had. It feels like it has always been a part of me”.
“That is expected, you are of the sea, one of your kind. A child of balance and hope. You are royalty, power flows effortlessly in you veins”.
He said and Hazel soon landed.
The ocean floor trembled beneath her feet as she finally landed and she looked around.
The creatures of the ocean, majestic, scary and magical all gathered around her to see who it was that had landed on the heart of the ocean without feeling the force”.
She turned around, only to see a massive gate, forged from black gold and chains, holding the gate firm and locked up, almost as if it was never meant to be passed.
“That’s where my body is”.
Zariel said.
“Or at least, what remains of it”.
She quickly added.
Hazel took a step forward, curious as to what was behind the gates and anxious to get this being out of her body.
But just when she was close enough, a very gigantic octopus fell right in front of her, standing with its eyes looking at Hazel.
Hazel moved back, startled.
She looked at the octopus who looked like it could crush her in a second.
“You can not enter”.
She suddenly heard it speak but concealed her shock before answering back.
“Why not”?
The octopus looked at her before it's legs spread open so it could fall even more. Hazel had to move back even more as spreading it's legs made it occupy more space.
“No one… enters”.
He said and Hazel sighed.
“We're going to have to find another way”.
Zariel said and Hazel nodded in agreement. If she wanted to get to Zariel's body on time and get back to her life, she didn't have time for any sort of introduction.
“I'll rally around it and try to get inside”.
Zariel scoffed inside her head.
“Have you seen that thing? It has eight gigantic legs.
We'll have to find another way in without getting crushed by that thing”.
Hazel nodded, still looking at the octopus.
“I see we have guests”.
Hazel turned to see who had just spoken.
“Wow".
She said as soon as she saw the lady who had fins and gills in almost every part of her body.
Her lower part was the tail of a fish. It looked big and purplish.
She had a crown on her head and a trident on her hand.
Hazel noticed her eyes opened wide before she moved closer.
Hazel was prepared to fight, when the lady suddenly knelt on one knee and bowed before her.
“You have finally arrived…”
She said and raised her head to look at her.
“Golden one”.
Hazel wasn't surprised that the lady called her the golden one as Zariel already told her she was the one with the golden orb but she was shocked to see that the lady knew it was her immediately.
“How do you know me”?
Hazel asked and the lady stood up.
“I'm a fallen, just like the one inside you”.