Mavobella: The Angel Of Death

Chapter 26

The last sliver of sunlight disappeared as we plunged deeper into the murky waters. Ye hummed faintly in my grip, reflecting the glow of my halo and casting a weak light through the swirling darkness. Nicole swam ahead, her eyes glued to the soggy map, barely visible now as the ink bled into the damp parchment.

“We’re close,” she sent through the link, her link waves muffled by the water and the sense of foreboding that pressed against us. “But if we’ve learned anything by now, it’s that ‘close’ means nothing good.”

Wade hovered beside her, sword raised. Its familiar orange glow flickered like a flame on the verge of being snuffed out by the oppressive weight of the deep sea. He gave a silent nod, his gaze sharp.

I tried to steel myself for what was coming. "Let’s just hope the welcoming committee isn’t too big this time."

Nicole smirked, but her focus was already shifting. Her neon green gun was ready in her hand, swirling with the dangerous liquid. "We’ve never been that lucky."

As if on cue, a slithering shape passed just outside of our halos’ light. My muscles tensed. Something massive loomed in the water ahead—no, many somethings. Their green, glowing eyes blinked at us from all directions. Dozens of creatures emerged from the depths, sliding and writhing through the dark, their luminous eyes flickering like sickly lanterns.

The monsters were far bigger than I expected—like they always were every time—their slimy bodies coated with algae and dripping venomous green liquid. Each was a grotesque blend of eel and nightmare, and the water around them bubbled with the poison they spewed from their fangs.

"They’re here," I sent, my heart thudding louder than I wanted to admit.

"Monsters," Wade said calmly through the link, his grip tightening on his sword as one of the beasts lunged forward, breaking the silence with a shrill screech. He swung his glowing blade, slicing through the water like fire. The orange light split the creature’s slimy form in half, its body disintegrating into a cloud of green ooze.

But that was just the first. More were closing in, their eyes flaring brighter as they moved in for the kill. For each one that fell, two more took its place. But this wasn't exactly bad—it only proved that we were close to our target.

I spun around, slashing Ye through the thick of them. My blade sliced cleanly through the creatures, the water clouding with their green venom. A large one came at me head-on, its jagged teeth bared. I swung upward, splitting it down the middle before it could sink those fangs into me or swallow me whole.

"Don’t let them get close!" I called out, barely dodging another attacker. I had learned that the hard way. The venom in the water made everything slick and chaotic, as though the very sea itself was turning against us. Wade was moving with precision, cutting down beasts left and right, his sword a blur of orange light.

Nicole was firing in quick succession, the glowing neon liquid from her gun searing through their slimy bodies. One particularly vicious beast lunged at her, its mouth wide and dripping. She sidestepped just in time, delivering a lethal shot to its head. It convulsed before sinking into the murky depths.

More kept coming.

"How many of these things are there?!" I sent, slashing through another beast that coiled around me like a snake. Its glowing eyes dimmed as it released me, its body slipping away into the dark.