The alarms blared through the Genesis, drowning out any other sound. On the main screen, the sonar display confirmed a handful of large things in quick succession. The tension in the control room became electric, with each breath sharp and every movement hastened. However, in the middle of the pandemonium, Sophia's attention became focused on the person who had previously been a dragon.
He stood unnervingly still, water trickling from his body. His golden eyes were filled with depth as he met Sophia's gaze. "They're here for me," he said sincerely, his voice low but with basic weight.
Sophia clinched her fist. "Who? "What are they?"
His lips twisted into a small smile, but it was devoid of humor. "You're not equipped for that answer."
Before she could demand any more, the delivery jerked severely. Sparks fell from the ceiling as systems failed one by one. Liam gripped the edge of a console to support himself while shouting instructions to the others. "Prepare for the effect! "Everyone to the emergency stations!"
Sophia tripped but kept her eyes on the person. "If they're here for you, what can we do? How do you fight them off? Run?"
"You may not be able to outrun them," he added, edging closer. "however you might live on—in case you pay attention."
Sophia's irritability boiled over. "Concentrate on what?" "You are speaking to me in riddles!"
His expression softened slightly, but his tone remained firm. "To the ocean." To the part of you that is aware.
The words hit a nerve, an echo of something Sophia couldn't quite grasp but felt deeply. Before she could respond, the delivery rocked again. A low, guttural noise rippled through the water—not from the Genesis.
The next few hours went in a blur. The beings, which the person had referred to as "hunters," circled the spacecraft but did not assault. As a substitute, their presence loomed, an unspoken opportunity that kept everyone on track. By the time the fear subsided, the group was exhausted.
Sophia sat alone in her quarters, the hum of the ship's backup systems providing a faint historical background noise. Her thoughts turned into a barrage of unanswered questions. Who transformed into he? What were the hunters' names? And why did she feel connected to everything?
She closed her eyes, wanting to relax, but the moment she slept off, the urges began.
The first dream became fragmented, like pieces of a puzzle dispersed across her consciousness. She stood on the deck of the Genesis, but the water was unlike anything she had ever seen. The lake shimmered with light, its surface vibrant with color. Shapes flowed beneath it, huge, serpentine figures that danced like shadows.
A voice that goes by her name. Deep, resonant, and hauntingly familiar. She became, but no one else did. The voice appeared again, this time softer. It was no longer merely a call; it had become a guide.
Sophia looked down at her hands. They shone faintly, the mild spread across her skin in intricate patterns that felt as natural as breathing. She raised her hand to the sea, and the water surged in answer, reaching for her like an old friend.
But before she could contact anything, the scene changed. Darkness devoured the gentle, and the dazzling ocean turned bloodless and lifeless. A pair of golden eyes appeared in the nothingness, peering at her.
"You've forgotten who you're," the voice said. It wasn't accusatory; it had shifted to sorrowful.
Sophia awoke with a start, her heart racing. She sat up and walked a hand through her hair. The radiance she had seen in the dream persisted in her thoughts, brilliant and unshakeable. It was not just a dream. It turned into a message.
Sophia returned to the lab the next day, attempting to shake off the dream and refocus on the current issue. The individual—Tharros, as he later revealed—was now housed in a guarded statement room. Despite the obvious hazards, she persisted on being the one to confront him.
As she entered, Tharros stood near the observation window, gazing out at the sea. He felt himself as majestic and untouchable, just as he did in dragon form. His skull got thin as she approached, recognizing her presence before she spoke.
"You're no longer human," Sophia said, her voice firm despite the storm of emotions swirling inside her. "That tonnage is evident. But what are you?
He grew to be able to stand her completely, his golden eyes matching hers. "you already know."
Sophia's jaw stiffened. "Do not do that. Don't address me as if I were a participant in a sport. I haven't realized anything about this... about you."
Tharros took a step forward, his presence filling the space. "You can't recall now, but it's in you. "I felt it the moment we met."
"What are you speakme approximately?" She demanded, frustration in her voice. "Why do I feel... related to you?"
His gaze softened, and for a fleeting moment, she sensed something vulnerable beneath his unshakeable exterior. "due to the fact you're."
Sophia's breath tightened. She examined his face for ideas, but before she could press more, alarms sounded once more. Her stomach sank.
Liam's voice arrived on the intercom. "Sophia, we have a scenario. You need to get to the management room. Now."
She gazed at Tharros, torn between remaining and leaving. He nodded toward the door. "cross. "We will talk later."
She reluctantly turned and ran.
In the control room, anarchy ensued. The sonar came alive with interest, but nothing appeared on the displays. Sophia approached Liam, who began typing furiously at the console.
"What's occurring?" She requested.
"It's the anomaly again," he replied, not looking up. "But this time, it's everywhere. "It's as if the ocean is responding to something."
Sophia gazed over the data. The measurements have been irregular, with bursts of energy emanating from all directions. Her thoughts raced. If Tharros become tied to the anomaly, is this also linked to her?
As the thought entered her mind, another remembrance surfaced—a flashback to her dream. The brilliant patterns on her skin, and how the water had reached for her. It wasn't just a coincidence. It was a clue.
"I need to head lower back to him," she stated abruptly.
"What?" Liam gazed at her, as if she had misplaced her ideas. "Sophia, we're in the middle of—"
"I need solutions," she interrupted him. "And he has them."
Before he could protest further, she had already left.
While Sophia reentered Tharros' chamber, he turned to look for her, his expression unreadable. She didn't spend any time. "What is going on right now? What does it have to do with you—or me?
Tharros looked her over for a second before speaking. "Have you felt it? "The pull."
Sophia hesitated but nodded. "In my desires." And when I'm around you, it's overwhelming."
He drew closer, his voice low and steady. "Because it is waking up." "And so are you."
Her pulse quickened. "What's waking up?"
Tharros' golden eyes darkened somewhat, as if the weight of his solution bothered him. "The sea's heart." The energy that connects my type, your type, and the arena above together. It has been inactive for centuries, but something has changed. Something is rousing it from its slumber.
Sophia shakes her head. "That does not make sense. "I'm just... human."
Tharros inclined his head, a small smirk forming on his lips. "You're not your usual self, Sophia. "You would not have found me otherwise."
The phrases weighed heavily in the air. Sophia's thoughts reeled, but a small, unshakable part of her knew he was correct. The dreams, the feelings, the relationship—they were not coincidental. It was futuristic.
The ship jerked, cutting off connection quickly. Tharros' expression became stern. "They're coming."
Sophia's stomach twisted. "Who?"
He didn't respond. Alternatively, he moved closer to the observation window, his eyes narrowing as if he could see into the depths. "You'll find out soon enough."
The lighting flickered, and the room filled with the same deep, resonant hum Sophia had previously experienced. Her skin prickled, and the shimmering patterns from her dream appeared to burn themselves into her memory.
Something was coming, and she wasn't prepared.