The water and raccoon depths (ukiyo inspired cover)

The voice of the depths

As the nights grew warmer and the moon glowed full and bright, Rollo returned to the pool again and again, each time feeling more drawn to its mysteries. He had become accustomed to the soothing rhythm of the water and the whispers that seemed to call to him from deep within the pool. But with each swim, the voice grew more insistent, more familiar, as though it were no longer just a faint echo but a presence that surrounded him.

One evening, as the sky stretched into shades of pink and purple, Rollo noticed something new. He had just slipped into the cool embrace of the pool and was swimming lazily along its edges when he spotted a shadow at the bottom, deeper than he had ever swum before. It was just a flicker at first, like a trick of the light, but then it appeared again—a dark shape, moving slowly, almost as if it were waiting for him.

Rollo's heart raced, his paws instinctively paddling harder to stay afloat. The shadows below him stirred once more, this time rising toward the surface. The air felt charged, the water colder, as though something ancient had just stirred beneath the calm surface.

*Come closer, little one.*

The voice was clearer now—gentler, yet imbued with a quiet authority. Without thinking, Rollo kicked his legs and dove, deeper than he had ever gone. His eyes strained to make out the shadow beneath him. This time, it wasn't just the glow of the stones. Something large, something living, hovered just beyond the reach of the moonlight.

As he neared the bottom of the pool, the shape became clearer—an enormous, smooth figure, its surface iridescent and shimmering like the surface of water itself. It was the shape of a creature, but not one that Rollo recognized. Its body was long and fluid, undulating with the subtle current of the water. A pair of glowing, otherworldly eyes blinked at him from within the creature's depths.

Rollo froze, hovering in the water, not sure whether to swim closer or retreat. The creature was beautiful, mesmerizing, and strange. It seemed to pulse with an energy that was both ancient and wise, like it had been here long before the pool was built, and would remain long after Rollo was gone.

The creature's eyes fixed on him, and the voice returned, now echoing in his mind, not just in the air.

"Rollo," it said, *"you have found the heart of the pool. You have discovered what lies beneath."*

The water around Rollo rippled gently, as though responding to the creature's words.

"But there is more," the creature continued, its voice like a song of wind through the trees. "You are not just a visitor here, little one. You are a guardian now—chosen to protect the balance of the waters, the secrets that sleep beneath."

Rollo's mind spun. Guardian? Balance? Secrets? He had never thought of the pool in such grand terms. To him, it had simply been a place to escape, a place to swim beneath the stars and forget about the world. But now, the weight of the creature's words hung heavy in his chest.

"What do you mean?" Rollo asked, his voice a quiet ripple in the vast, echoing depths.

The creature's glowing eyes softened.

"The pool is old," it explained. "It holds the memories of the land, the secrets of the creatures that came before. It is a gateway to the forgotten places—hidden in the roots of trees, beneath the stones of mountains, deep in the heart of the forest. And the waters... they protect those memories, Rollo. But only for as long as they are watched over."

Rollo's eyes widened. *A gateway to the forgotten places?* It was hard to fathom what the creature was saying. He had always thought of the pool as just a place where he could swim alone, at night, away from the rest of the world. But now it seemed that the pool was something much greater, something alive with history, with purpose.

"You mean, this pool isn't just... a pool?" Rollo asked, his voice a mix of awe and confusion.

The creature's eyes gleamed brighter, like stars came to life.

"No, Rollo. It is a gateway—a keeper of forgotten things. You have awakened it, and now you are part of it. You have the strength to guard it. And the knowledge to understand it, when the time is right."

Rollo's fur tingled with both excitement and a bit of fear. A guardian? He was just a raccoon who liked to swim. What did he know of guarding anything? But the creature was patient, its presence steady and calm.

"Trust yourself, little one," the creature said. "In time, you will learn. In time, you will understand what it means to be a keeper of the waters. The pool will show you what you need to know."

Rollo felt a strange, comforting warmth in the creature's words. There was a deep sense of responsibility now tugging at him, a pull he couldn't ignore. It was as if the water, the pool, and the creature itself were all speaking to something within him—something that had always been there but had never been called to the surface before.

For a long moment, Rollo floated in the stillness, his eyes locked with the glowing ones of the creature. He was scared, yes, but there was also an overwhelming sense of belonging, a sense that this pool—this secret world—was where he was meant to be.

Finally, he spoke, his voice steady despite the questions swirling inside his mind.

"How do I start?" he asked, his small voice echoing in the depths.

The creature's eyes softened once more, and it seemed to smile in its own, ancient way.

"You start by listening. The water has its stories, Rollo. And if you listen closely, it will teach you how to protect them."

And with that, the creature sank slowly back into the depths, its body disappearing into the shadows beneath the pool, leaving Rollo alone with the rippling water.

The night grew quiet again. The stars above twinkled softly, and the gentle sound of the water seemed to hum with new meaning. Rollo, heart still racing, took a deep breath and swam to the surface, feeling the weight of the responsibility settle on him like a cloak. He didn't know yet what it meant to be a guardian, but he knew one thing for sure.

He would listen.

And in time, he would learn.

With that thought, Rollo climbed out of the pool, his fur glistening in the soft moonlight. He glanced back at the shimmering surface, knowing that tomorrow night, and every night after, the pool would be waiting for him.

And so would the secrets it held.