IRON MAN: BROTHER DON'T CAUSE TROUBLE

The cold water wrapped around them as John and Tony sank into Green Lake's depths. Above them, the surface shimmered and slowly disappeared, replaced by the quiet world below.

Sunlight barely reached this far, fading into green shadows. The deeper they swam, the colder and darker it became. But it wasn't just the water that changed—there was a strange pressure, like the lake itself was alive.

"Still gives me the creeps," Tony said through the mental link.

"Stay alert," John replied. "Something's different in here. The magic feels... quite active."

All around them, glowing plants floated like underwater vines. They gave off faint blue and green light, enough to guide their way. Tiny fish zipped past them, and strange flowers opened and closed slowly as they swam through.

The scenery looked beautiful yet dangerous.

They passed over large rocks and thick clusters of kelp that glowed faintly. The lakebed below them was covered in glowing coral and mineral clusters. Every now and then, small bubbles rose from cracks in the ground.

As they swam further, they entered a wide open area, surrounded by tall rock walls. John paused, narrowing his eyes.

"Look at that," he said.

At the edge of the open space, something moved.

It was long and thin like an eel, with far too many eyes lining its sides. Its skin was pale and slightly transparent, and strange glowing marks were carved all over it.

Tony reached for his dagger. "That thing doesn't look friendly."

The creature noticed them and hissed through the water. Its mouth opened wide, showing sharp, needle-like teeth.

In an instant, it darted toward Tony, fast and aggressive.

Tony swam to the side and slashed with his rune blade. It cut into the creature's skin, but barely. The creature twisted and whipped its tail around, knocking Tony back.

"Damn, it's tough!" Tony grunted, recovering mid-swim.

The creature rushed again. This time, it shot toward John.

John didn't move. He raised his hand calmly. A red glow appeared in his palm—compressed fire magic. When the creature got close, he released it.

The fire exploded into a burst of heat, even underwater. Steam shot outward, and the creature screeched in pain, retreating quickly.

"That's how you do it," John said, swimming forward.

The creature tried to circle back for another attack—but John was ready. With one smooth motion, he traced a sigil with his fingers, and a whip of lightning shot out, wrapping around the beast mid-charge.

It spasmed violently as the electricity ran through it.

With his other hand, John summoned another fire orb and launched it into the creature's open mouth. It exploded from the inside, and the creature's body fell limp.

It drifted downward, leaving behind dark wisps of smoke and blood in the water.

Tony swam over, shaking his head. "Yeah… that would've taken me a lot longer."

"You handled the distraction part well," John said with a smirk.

Tony rolled his eyes. "Sure, I'll be the bait."

They moved past the area, entering a narrow trench between two large stone walls. Strange blue lights glowed between cracks in the rocks, forming patterns like veins. The water here felt heavier, denser—not just with pressure, but with something else. Something ancient.

Suddenly, another shape moved in the distance—larger and darker than the creature they had just passed. A second beast emerged from the shadows, its form both elegant and dangerous. Its body was longer, scales smoother, and its movements more fluid. The flicker of glowing fins trailed behind it like ghostly banners.

Tony stiffened. "This one's stronger than the last."

The creature wasted no time, surging toward them with a low, rumbling growl that vibrated through the water. John narrowed his eyes and moved forward to meet it. Tony stayed back, gripping a blade in case he was needed.

The beast struck with incredible speed, but John responded with calm precision. Waves of fire and ice shot from his hands, colliding with the beast's thick scales, but had limited effect. The creature was fast, dodging and weaving around most of the attacks.

John frowned. He shifted his stance and raised one arm.

A green light shimmered around him.

Thick vines burst forth, swirling like whips through the water. They wrapped around the beast's body, slowing it, tangling it. Roots extended from nearby rocks, responding to his call. With each movement, the wood energy around John became more focused, more vibrant, more alive.

Tony watched in disbelief and commented, "Amazing, your control over wood element has increased?"

John didn't break his focus. "It's stronger down here than anything else I've used."

The beast struggled, but the vines were unrelenting. Within seconds, it was pulled down, its strength overwhelmed by the thick tangle of roots and pressure.

Tony floated beside him as the creature stilled. "You made that look easy."

John exhaled slowly. "Not easy—just… natural. My wood affinity's reacting to something here. It's far stronger than outside of the lake."

He paused and glanced at the surrounding moss-covered stones and glowing flora. "There's something in the water. Wood elemental energy is everywhere."

Tony nodded. "That explains the mutated plants. Maybe even those markings we saw earlier."

They continued their descent.

Minutes passed, and the water grew clearer. Brighter. They swam through an open stretch filled with massive plants swaying gently in the current. Glowing tendrils of kelp waved lazily between rocky arches, and fish with translucent scales darted between vines like living jewels.

It was beautiful—strange and breathtaking.

Tony whispered, "This place… it's like a hidden world."

John didn't speak. He was scanning the surroundings, searching for the reason behind this impossible beauty. The deeper they went, the more questions formed in his mind.

And then—they saw it.

A faint green light shone through a crack ahead. They followed it and emerged into a wide chamber, surrounded by natural stone columns twisted with root-like formations. The entire space was bathed in a soft, steady green glow.

But it was what stood at the center that stole their voices.

John and Tony stared, frozen in place.

"What… is that?" Tony whispered.

John didn't answer immediately. He stared at the object, trying to make sense of it. "We might've just found the source…"