Collide: The Memory of Stars

Third Person's POV

The ocean welcomed them like long-lost children.

Selene took the first step into the water, feeling no resistance—only an embrace, warm yet endless. The magic granted by the ocean thrummed in her veins, allowing her to breathe, to move as if she belonged there. Axel followed, his hesitation barely noticeable, but she could see the flicker of awe in his eyes as he, too, felt the ocean's blessing take hold.

Khael exhaled sharply, watching as the surface tension of the water barely clung to them before letting them pass. "This is unnatural," he muttered, his arms tensed as if expecting the sea to change its mind.

"We shouldn't be able to move like this."

"It's not unnatural," Tyra corrected softly, stepping in after him.

"It's ancient. A gift forgotten by most, but not by the sea."

The ocean carried them, weightless yet grounded, deeper into its depths. Light from the moon barely penetrated the waters, yet a faint glow guided their way—a shimmer of blues and silvers, pulsing like a heartbeat in the distance.

Selene swam ahead without fear, instinct pulling her toward something unseen. The sea was alive around them. Schools of luminescent fish darted past, their scales refracting light like scattered stars.

Tendrils of seaweed swayed, not from the current, but as if they were watching, waiting.

Then, as they moved further, the ocean shifted.

The sand beneath them gave way to the ruins of something vast—an entire city swallowed by time and the waves.

Towering structures lay in crumbled silence, statues of regal figures now worn by the currents. Broken pillars lined a path toward a central temple, its entrance gaping like the maw of a forgotten god.

Axel stopped beside Selene, his expression unreadable. "This place…"

"It's real," Tyra breathed, her golden eyes scanning the ruins.

"The Kingdom That Was Lost. The one swallowed by the sea when the mermaid's heart ceased to beat."

Khael exhaled sharply. "And now we're walking in its grave."

Selene felt it—the sorrow lingering in the water, the weight of a story unfinished. Yet, beneath it, something else called to her. Not just a pull, but a memory, distant yet familiar, whispering in a voice she did not yet recognize.

She stepped forward.

The others followed, silent in the wake of what lay before them. As they moved, the glow ahead grew stronger, leading them toward the temple's entrance.

The carvings on its walls depicted a history long buried—waves rising in grief, a mermaid with eyes like the ocean, a king reaching for something that was never his to take.

Axel ran his fingers over one of the engravings. "The story Tyra told us… it's here."

"Then we are not just walking in a grave," Selene whispered. "We are walking in history."

Tyra nodded. "And history is never silent."

As if in response, a sound resonated from the depths of the temple—low, humming, like the sea itself was exhaling. A voice, neither welcoming nor warning, but calling.

As Selene held the seashell close, its warmth pulsed against her palm, guiding her deeper into the ruins of the sunken city.

The ocean floor stretched endlessly before them, bathed in the eerie glow of bioluminescent corals. Axel, Khael, and Tyra moved beside her, their movements effortless under the ocean's blessing, yet the weight of the unknown loomed over them.

Then, the water stirred. A deep tremor pulsed through the depths, sending ripples across the sand. A presence emerged, vast and ancient, coalescing into a form neither fully tangible nor entirely real. A being with eyes like whirlpools and a body woven from the sea itself towered before them. The Guardian of the Deep.

Its voice resonated not through sound, but through the water itself, reaching into their very minds.

"Why do you seek the ocean's blessing?"

Selene's breath hitched as the weight of its gaze bore into her. The others tensed, their instincts screaming of danger, but no weapon could stand against something like this. No sword, no spell—only their will.

She stepped forward, her voice steady. "To restore what was lost. To find the truth."

The Guardian's form rippled, shifting like the tide.

"Many have sought the ocean's favor. Some for power, some for greed. What makes you different?"

Axel clenched his fists, a battle waging within his own heart. Khael's flames flickered at his fingertips, a reflex against the looming pressure. Tyra remained silent, her grip on her broadsword firm but unmoving.

Selene swallowed, glancing at the seashell in her hand. "Because I don't seek to take. Only to return."

The Guardian did not respond. Instead, the ocean surged.

A powerful current burst forth, crashing into them like a tidal wave. Axel barely had time to react before he was enveloped by the force, but something deep inside told him—

Do not resist.

Selene held her ground as the water raged, its power pressing against her body, testing her, drowning her senses in its vastness. Khael gritted his teeth, his fire was useless here, and Tyra closed her eyes, standing firm against the force.

Axel exhaled slowly, letting the pressure consume him without defiance.

The assault did not relent. It battered them, pulled at them, tried to tear away their resolve, yet none of them faltered. They did not fight back. They did not attempt to escape.

They simply endured.

Then, as swiftly as it came, the current softened.

What had once been a violent torrent became nothing more than a gentle flow, a surge of water passing through their very existence, washing over them like a whisper of approval.

When they opened their eyes, the Guardian was gone.

The ocean was still.

And they had passed.

Selene clutched the seashell tighter, a strange sensation settling in her chest. As if a door had opened within her, revealing the faintest glimmer of something long forgotten.

Axel exhaled, tension melting from his frame, but the worry in his gaze remained. He had watched Selene withstand the ocean's trial with unwavering grace. And yet, something inside him whispered that this was only the beginning.

Tyra was the first to speak, voice hushed in reverence. "We didn't need to fight."

Khael let out a low breath, shaking his head with a smirk. "Good thing. I don't think fire does much underwater."

Selene turned to them, eyes shining like the depths themselves. "The ocean wanted to see if we meant well."

She glanced at Axel, searching his expression. He gave her a small nod, but the flicker of concern remained. He had seen something in her then—something familiar, something fleeting. And though he did not yet understand it, he knew one thing.

The ocean had acknowledged them.

The sea had stilled after the trial, the waves no longer threatening but watchful, as if the ocean itself awaited their next step.

Selene held the seashell close, its warmth seeping into her palm, pulsing like a heartbeat. The gentle glow within it flickered, calling her forward, guiding her deeper into the submerged ruins.

Axel walked beside her, his usual confidence laced with unease. The test had shaken them in ways they did not expect. He had been ready to fight, ready to wield his summoned weapon in defense, but that had not been the answer.

The Guardian had taught them that brute strength meant nothing in the face of the ocean's will.

They had won by standing firm, by proving their intentions, by enduring.

Still, the way Selene had taken the surge of water without flinching—it haunted him. She had looked almost serene, as if she had known what would happen all along.

"Are you alright?" Axel finally asked, his voice low.

Selene hesitated before nodding. "I… think I know where to go next."

Tyra and Khael exchanged glances, but neither questioned her. They had all felt it—the seashell was leading them somewhere specific. Somewhere only Selene could truly understand.

With quiet determination, she stepped forward, the path beneath her feet glowing with soft luminescence.

The ocean, no longer a barrier, now seemed to welcome them. The deeper they walked, the more the ruins revealed themselves—stone pillars wrapped in coral, ancient murals depicting stories of old, fragments of a past long forgotten.

And then, the visions began.

Selene froze as the water around her shimmered, shifting into something else entirely. The ruins faded, replaced by a memory—one that was not her own, yet felt so deeply familiar.

A grand hall stood before her, its walls gleaming with golden inscriptions, illuminated by soft blue light filtering through stained-glass windows.

The scent of salt and lilies filled the air, and at the center of it all, two figures stood.

A young girl, no older than ten, clung to the hand of a tall, regal woman. The woman had flowing golden hair that cascaded down her back, and eyes that gleamed like the sun reflecting off the ocean's surface. She knelt before the child, cupping her face gently.

"Selene," the woman whispered, her voice laced with sorrow and unwavering love.

Selene inhaled sharply.

Her younger self, barely recognizable, gazed up at the woman with wide, confused eyes. A child who had not yet understood loss. A child who did not know this would be goodbye.

"Why are you sad, sister?" the young Selene asked, her small hands grasping at the woman's fingers.

Sister.

The word struck like lightning in Selene's mind. Her chest tightened, her breath stolen by the realization.

This woman—Eltharia—was her sister.

The vision wavered, but Selene could not move, could not look away. The weight of forgotten memories pressed against her, overwhelming yet painfully clear.

"I must go, little one," Eltharia whispered, her golden eyes filled with something deeper than sadness—acceptance.

"There is something only I can do."

Young Selene shook her head, tears forming. "But you promised we'd stay together"

Tyra stood behind them in the vision, younger yet still strong, though her expression was unreadable. She had known. She had been there.

"I leave you in good hands," Eltharia continued, brushing a tear from Selene's cheek.

"One day, you will remember. One day, you will understand why I had to do this."

She removed a pendant from around her neck—a shimmering crystal, pulsing faintly with golden light—and pressed it into young Selene's palm.

"This is my legacy," Eltharia said softly.

"When the time comes, follow the light, and you will find your way home."

The vision blurred, the figures fading like mist as reality returned. The ruins came back into focus, the seashell in Selene's hand glowing even brighter. But now, she understood.

Tears slid down her cheeks as she gripped the shell tighter.

Eltharia had left her. Not out of cruelty, not out of abandonment, but out of love.

Tyra, watching her closely, spoke first. "…You remembered something , don't you?"

Selene exhaled shakily, turning to her with newfound clarity. "Not everything. But enough."

Axel stepped closer, his gaze unreadable. "Who was she?"

Selene swallowed, her voice steady despite the storm raging in her heart. "My sister."

Silence followed. No one spoke, yet the weight of the revelation settled over them all. It changed everything, and yet, it changed nothing.

To be continued.