The days after his Trial of Flowforms blurred into a relentless rhythm of training and study. Kaelen's mastery of the Aqua Arcana grew steadily, but so did the shadow lurking beneath his mana core—the Abyssal Current.
He could no longer ignore the whispering tides within him, voices that stirred when the moon was high and the waters calmed.
A Warning from the Depths
One evening, as the twin moons bathed the tower in silver light, Kaelen ventured down to the sacred cove beneath Nerevia's cliffs. The water gleamed with an eerie phosphorescence, the waves lapping softly against the shore.
He knelt by the edge, dipping his fingers into the cool liquid mana. The familiar pulse of his Aqua Core met the colder, darker beat of the Abyssal Current.
Suddenly, the water before him rippled violently. From the depths rose a figure cloaked in shadow—fluid and shifting like smoke over water.
"Kaelen Thalor," it hissed, voice like the crackle of ice breaking. "You meddle with powers you do not understand."
Kaelen's heart clenched. "Who are you?"
The figure's form solidified—a spectral woman with eyes like frozen depths and hair flowing like black tides.
"I am Velyra, the Siren of the Abyss. Guardian of the forgotten currents."
The Siren's Challenge
Velyra's gaze pierced Kaelen's soul. "The Abyssal Current demands balance. You have taken power without price. That will change."
Kaelen straightened. "I seek only to protect my people and master my gift."
"Many before you have said the same," she said, voice cold. "But the Abyss takes more than power—it takes the will. Prove you can resist its pull."
With a wave of her hand, the water around Kaelen darkened, swirling into a vortex. He was pulled beneath the surface, the world dissolving into silence and cold.
Trial of the Abyss
Underwater, Kaelen struggled against the current but felt it merge with his core, tugging and twisting at his mind.
Visions flashed before him—lost sailors drowning, ancient sea kings consumed by madness, Leviathan spirits wailing in eternal torment.
His mana flared wildly, the Abyssal Current threatening to overwhelm him.
Focusing on the flow, Kaelen summoned his Aqua Spiral Lance.
He thrust it forward, piercing the phantom darkness.
Light exploded, breaking the vortex. Gasping, Kaelen surfaced, soaked and trembling.
Return and Resolve
Back at the tower, Master Virell awaited him, calm but grave.
"You have passed the Siren's test," Virell said. "But be warned—the Abyss is a double-edged tide. Use it wisely, or it will drag you down."
Kaelen nodded, resolve hardening.
"I will master it," he said, "or drown trying."
The ocean outside roared, as if in answer.