Chapter 136 Creating a distraction

Chapter 136: Chapter 136 Creating a distraction

No one dared to move.

It was as if reality itself had paused just to mock them. The creatures had locked their eyes on the vehicle, and nobody inside seemed capable of remembering how to breathe.

Luna was the worst. For nearly a full minute, she forgot to breathe. Her chest tightened until she suddenly began gasping desperately for air.

"Luna!"

Kai immediately reached toward her and placed a hand against her chest. "Breathe."

Luna’s eyes widened as she sucked in a huge breath. She had completely forgotten that she could still breathe.

"What the fuck..." Her hand pressed against her chest as she tried to calm herself.

The gigantic snake’s face remained locked on them. Then its enormous mouth slowly widened. At the same time, the flying abominations above them opened their monstrous jaws.

The creatures stared. The humans stared back.

For one strange second, neither side moved.

Then Luna understood something. They had been noticed. And it wasn’t just that. The monsters had marked them. She could almost feel it. The moment their eyes had locked onto the vehicle, the creatures had made their decision. They were prey now. And judging by the way the monsters were watching one another, this wasn’t simply about eating them. It was a competition. Whoever reached them first would get them.

Luna’s heart pounded.

Rowan’s voice suddenly broke through the silence. "Let’s run now!"

Everyone snapped back to reality. They immediately scattered around the vehicle, trying to figure out where to move and how to escape.

But Kai’s voice thundered over them. "Don’t separate!" Everyone stopped. "It’s easier for them to catch us that way!" Kai pointed toward the creatures. "We stay together, no matter what happens!"

He immediately summoned his ice. The power burst from his body and spread beneath the amphibious vehicle. At the same time, the waves around them began to tilt. Kai manipulated the water and ice together, forcing the vehicle forward. The amphibious vehicle lifted slightly before sliding backward from the approaching creatures.

The sea rippled violently. The gigantic monster beneath the water was already moving toward them. And above them, the flying abominations were coming too. They were being surrounded.

"Let’s just get inside the vehicle and escape before it reaches us!" Ethan shouted. He was clearly panicking too, but he knew that standing around worrying wasn’t going to save them. If they stayed there, they would be swallowed by one of those creatures.

Ethan moved toward the controls. But before he could do anything—BOOM!

The gigantic snake’s tail smashed against the surface of the sea. The impact created an enormous wave.

"Fuck!" The wave roared toward them. Everyone was thrown across the surface as the water violently pushed the vehicle away. The world suddenly became nothing but rushing water.

They were swept toward another section of the sea, one that looked disturbingly quiet. The silence after the wave was almost worse. It was like a graveyard.

Adrian coughed and looked around. "I was about to cast a portal before that happened." He wiped water from his face. "Now it’s time to go. We can’t wait any longer."

Everyone immediately looked toward him. But before Adrian could activate his ability—something enormous shot out of the water. A tentacle wrapped around Rowan. Another grabbed Ethan.

"What the—" The two men were violently dragged from the surface.

"ROWAN!" "ETHAN!"

Luna’s eyes bulged. The gigantic sea creature had them. Its tentacles tightened around their bodies and began forcing them deeper into the water.

Rowan fought desperately. The grip around him was like iron. The shove was merciless. He kicked. He punched. He tried to tear the tentacle away. Nothing worked. The creature pulled him deeper. Water rushed into his mouth. He accidentally swallowed a huge amount of it and immediately began choking.

Ethan was suffering the same fate. He tried to activate his powers, but the pressure and movement made it difficult to concentrate. The tentacle slammed him against the surface before dragging him beneath it again.

Luna’s heart nearly stopped. With Rowan and Ethan captured, only Luna, Kai, and Adrian remained above the water.

"We have to get them off that thing!" Luna immediately prepared to dive.

Kai grabbed her arm. "Wait."

"I’m going!"

"I know." Kai looked toward the enormous creature. "I’ll distract it."

Luna stared at him. "You?"

"I’ll make it look at me." Kai turned toward Adrian. "You two go after them."

Adrian nodded.

"And when Luna gets them free, you cast the portal immediately." Kai looked directly at him. "Don’t waste time."

Adrian raised his hands. "I understand."

Kai took a breath. "We all get out together."

Luna groaned. "Fine."

She immediately dove into the water. The moment she entered the sea, her uniform tightened around her body. The material adjusted itself, assisting her movement through the water. She kicked harder. Her eyes searched through the darkness. Rowan and Ethan were somewhere beneath her. She had to reach them.

Behind her, Adrian prepared to follow. Then he stopped. His expression changed.

"Wait."

Kai looked at him. "What?"

Adrian swallowed. "I can’t fucking swim."

Kai stared at him. For a second, neither of them said anything. Then Kai cursed internally. Of course. Of all the things they had to deal with right now, Adrian couldn’t swim.

Kai looked toward the water. "Luna!" His voice echoed across the surface. Then he turned toward Adrian. "You’re staying here."

Adrian nodded.

Kai grabbed his hands. "I’m going to distract the creature." He looked toward the sea. "Luna is getting them." Then he pointed at Adrian. "When she gets away from that thing, watch her."

Adrian nodded.

"And when she’s clear, cast the portal." Kai’s expression hardened. "Don’t get distracted."

Adrian nodded again. "I won’t."

Kai looked at him for another second. "Please."

Adrian understood the seriousness in his voice. "I’ll do it."

Kai released his hands.

Adrian hesitated. "But how are you able to plan all this so quickly?"

Kai blinked. "What?"

"You’re always planning." Adrian looked genuinely curious despite the chaos around them. "Even now, with everything happening, your brain is already working through the situation."

Kai stared at him. Then shrugged. "I played a lot of games."

Adrian blinked. "Games?"

"A lot." Kai looked toward the enormous creature. "I manipulated plenty of situations on screens and got some real knowledge behind all this kind of shit." He pointed at Adrian. "So can you please save the questions for when we’re back at the base?" He sighed. "When we’re safely back at the mansion, you can continue interrogating me."

Adrian nodded. "Fair enough."

Kai turned toward the sea. His eyes narrowed.

The monster wasn’t immediately trying to kill Rowan and Ethan. It seemed almost amused. That made Kai even more uncomfortable. The creature was playing with them. It wanted them terrified. It wanted them exhausted before it finally fed.

And it was working.

Rowan’s head slammed against the water again. He struggled desperately. His lungs burned. He couldn’t tell which way was up anymore. He kicked wildly and tried to reach the surface. But the tentacle tightened around him. It dragged him deeper. Again. Again. Again.

Rowan fought with everything he had. He refused to die like this. Not after everything they had survived. Not after Luna had brought them this far. He swung his arm and tried to strike the tentacle. Nothing. The creature barely reacted. Another violent movement sent him spinning underwater. His lungs screamed. His vision began to blur.

Ethan was suffering the same fate. His body had already been exhausted from everything that had happened before. Now the creature was tossing him around like a toy. He tried reaching for one of the weapons built into his uniform. His fingers barely touched it. Then—BAM! The tentacle smashed him against the surface. A sharp pain exploded through his body. His grip failed. A tiny drop of blood escaped from the corner of his mouth and disappeared into the water.

"Luna..." His voice was barely audible.

Above them, Kai saw the movement. His eyes hardened. He couldn’t wait anymore.

Luna was already swimming toward them. She pushed through the water as quickly as she could. Her uniform assisted her movements, allowing her to cut through the water faster. Finally, she saw the enormous creature.

Her eyes widened. The thing was even larger underwater. Its body seemed to disappear into the darkness.

Luna reached for a dagger. She tightened her grip. "I’ll cut them free."

She moved toward the tentacle. But before she could strike—BOOM!

Ice exploded from the water. Kai’s power slammed into the sea. Jagged pillars of ice erupted from different sections of the water, forcing the creature to recoil. The monster released a terrifying roar. Its tentacles thrashed.

Kai stood on top of the amphibious vehicle, his eyes glowing with an intense blue light. "Come on!" He raised both hands. More ice erupted. The sea began freezing around the creature.

The enormous beast twisted violently, trying to avoid the incoming ice. Its attention was divided. That was exactly what Kai wanted. The tentacle gripping Rowan loosened. Then the one holding Ethan weakened too. The creature struggled to maintain its hold while simultaneously defending itself from the freezing water and sharp ice formations.

Luna saw her chance. She swam faster. "Hold on!"

She reached for Rowan first. The tentacle finally slipped. Rowan dropped into the water. Luna grabbed him. At the same time, Ethan was released. His body sank. Luna immediately stretched toward him.

But before she could reach either man—something moved. Fast. Far too fast.

A huge mouth suddenly emerged from the water.

Luna’s eyes widened. "No!"

The mouth snapped shut around both Rowan and Ethan.

They were gone.

Luna froze. Her blood ran cold.

She looked upward. Adrian, who had been preparing to create the portal, saw it too. His face went blank.

The creature hadn’t taken them. The snake had. The gigantic armored snake had struck from the side and caught both men in its enormous mouth.

"Fuck!" Adrian nearly lost his mind. "I hate this place!" He looked toward the water. "Why can’t these things just give us a fucking break?!"

But Kai didn’t stop. He couldn’t. The snake was now holding Rowan and Ethan. And if Kai stopped attacking, the other sea creature would turn its attention back toward them too.

His eyes became brighter. Pure blue. The temperature around him dropped sharply.

Ice spread across the sea. It moved outward from the amphibious vehicle at terrifying speed. The water froze beneath the vehicle. Then around it. Then farther. Farther. Farther.

Kai slammed his feet against the amphibious vehicle. His power surged into the sea. A gigantic layer of ice began spreading across the surface. The waves froze. The tentacles f

roze. The water itself seemed to stop moving.

Kai gritted his teeth. "You’re not taking them."

The ice continued expanding. The entire sea around them began turning white and solid.