Clouds Over the Sea

Chapter 16: The Price of Power

The sea serpent's massive body coiled through the dark waters like a storm made flesh. Its eyes gleamed with otherworldly malice as it lunged toward Thorn, jaws snapping in an attempt to break through his magical shield. The sound of its teeth clashing against his barrier echoed in the water like the shattering of glass.

Thorn's breath was ragged as he gritted his teeth, his hands trembling from the effort of holding the shield. "Elowyn—go!" he shouted again, his voice strained. "You have to—"

But before he could finish, the creature struck with ferocious speed. It slammed its tail against his shield, sending a shockwave through the water that knocked Thorn off balance. The barrier flickered and crackled with the force, barely holding against the pressure. Elowyn's eyes widened as she saw Thorn stagger, his body lurching back as the creature's attack tore through his defense.

"Thorn!" Elowyn cried out, panic rising in her chest. She tried to swim closer, but the creature's massive head darted toward her, blocking her path. The serpent was relentless, its dark eyes fixed on her now, its body twisting with unnatural speed in the water.

Thorn's vision blurred as he fought to regain his footing, but the impact had taken its toll. Blood seeped from a wound across his side where the creature's tail had slashed him. He winced, but even in his weakened state, he managed to raise a hand toward the creature, his fingers trembling as he gathered more magic.

The creature growled low in the depths, the sound vibrating through the water. It was toying with them. It knew they couldn't hold out forever. Thorn's magic was weakening, his strength fading, and Elowyn could see the fear in his eyes—the fear that they might not escape this alive.

"Thorn!" she shouted again, but her voice was barely audible over the water's roar.

Her heart pounded in her chest, and her hands shook as the air around her seemed to thicken with the weight of the magic building inside her. She felt it—her magic, the energy of the sea, the pulse of the ocean itself, all swirling inside her like a tidal wave ready to break free. But she had never called upon it like this before. She had never needed to, not until now.

The serpent's head lunged again, and Thorn barely managed to raise his shield in time, but the force of the blow sent him spinning, disoriented. Elowyn saw him fall, his body limp, blood still trailing in the water around him. Her breath hitched, her heart racing as a surge of panic gripped her.

"No... no!" She reached out for him, desperate, but the creature was already coiling around him, its enormous form blocking her way. It was going to crush him. It was going to—

No.

The word reverberated in her mind, a sudden clarity cutting through the panic.

Her mother's voice echoed in her memory: The power of the sea flows through you. It's always been with you, Elowyn.

The sea. The ocean was hers. It wasn't just her bloodline—it was her connection, her essence. And in that moment, she understood. The magic that had always felt distant, almost untouchable, was hers to command.

With a cry, Elowyn reached out to the water around her, the very depths of the ocean, calling upon everything inside her. The water seemed to respond. The surface rippled, and the currents shifted. Magic surged through her, wild and untamed, like a storm breaking free from a cage.

She could feel the ocean's power shift through her body. Her legs began to shimmer, the skin around them glowing faintly before a powerful transformation took hold. Her legs elongated, shifting into a sleek pair of fins, glimmering with pearlescent scales that reflected the water's light. The transformation surged upward, and Elowyn's tunic split apart, reforming into a seamless shell-crafted bra, the edges lined with delicate, iridescent coral and pearls. Her long hair flowed around her, strands adorned with glimmering seaweed and delicate shells, woven into intricate patterns that shimmered with an ethereal glow.