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In 2019, Filipino marine geophysicist Dr. Jenny Anne Barretto, along with Dr. Ray Wood and Dr. John Milsom, published a groundbreaking discovery - a massive underwater crater called the Apolaki Caldera, hidden within the Benham Rise (also known as the Philippine Rise).
At 150 kilometers wide, it became known as the largest caldera in the world, dwarfing Yellowstone and other famous volcanic structures.
Scientists believed the Apolaki Caldera was long extinct - a remnant of ancient volcanic activity deep under the Philippine Sea.
But years after its discovery, something strange began happening.
The seafloor near the Benham Rise started to tremble. Fishermen near the Philippine Trench reported glowing waters, disappearing fish, and strange echoes that sounded like deep animal cries. At the same time, sensors around Mt. Apo-the highest volcano in the Philippines-began detecting unusual underground vibrations.
That's when Dr. Elias Navarro, a young marine geologist who once worked under Dr. Barretto, was sent to investigate. He was tasked with studying what seemed like harmless seismic activity... until his team discovered something unbelievable:
a hidden tunnel system connecting Mt. Apo to the Apolaki Caldera - proof that the volcano and the underwater crater were somehow linked.
The deeper they explored, the more they realized that Apolaki wasn't just a name.
In ancient Tagalog mythology, Apolaki is the god of the sun and war - a being said to bring both light and destruction.
Now, something beneath the ocean is waking up - and its heartbeat can be heard through the tremors of the earth.
Ancient carvings, forgotten sea creatures, and secrets buried by time begin to resurface. And Elias must face the possibility that Apolaki isn't just a myth - but something alive beneath the sea.