A young man walked beneath massive arches, descending deeper into the water before becoming fully submerged. A light shone through the clear blue depths, growing brighter as he swam toward it. The light was connected to a large building consumed by the sea.
He grabbed a door handle and pushed into a small room within the submerged structure. After closing the door behind him, he struck a small panel to the right. Water drained rapidly into the floor grates.
Stepping through the next doorway, the young man pulled off the strange mask on his face as he approached a desk a few meters ahead.
"Ah, Rex, you're back! Come on in and make your way to the exchange center!"
Rex walked calmly toward the counter, still dripping onto the tiled floor.
"So what's our favorite youth brought us today?" asked a burly woman with curly red hair. "Even if you're not one of those seafolk, you always bring the goods! Any salvageable electronics?"
Rex replied with an unimpressed look:
"Yeah, Tina. I've got some—as long as you can pay."
"What do you take me for, boy? Hand it over!"
Rex reached into his gather-pack and pulled out several grimy silver plates streaked with glowing blue lines.
"This is all I can trade today, T."
Tina snatched them and placed them on a shelf behind her.
"You're good to stay tonight while we get these appraised. Feel free to hit the cafeteria before you hit the sack."
Satisfied, Rex turned away. Those plates would buy him a few more days of shelter. He walked down a broad corridor and entered his small room—just a rack, a small table, a stool, and a tiny bathroom.
He sighed as he set his bag on the table and peeled off his soaked wetsuit and protective gear. After showering, he pulled out a fresh pair of shorts and a tank top. But when he unrolled the shirt, three plates—identical to the ones he had just traded—fell out.
Rex sat on the stool and took out his tool kit. He studied the lines and runes on the plates, then picked up a small pick and carved the glowing stones free.
Every day Rex brought back plates, and every day he kept a few to dissect. Two things he knew for certain: the plates showed signs of life, and tonight he had found a completely new one.
Unlike the usual silver plates covered in coral, this one was smooth, black, and clean. A single large stone sat in its center with runes branching outward. It also had eight empty holes—four on each side, each about the size of a standard stone.
The surges of light traveling across the plate looked weak, as if it were dying. Driven by curiosity, Rex took the stones from the other plates and fitted them into the empty holes.
The plate's lights surged. It began to shake—deforming, twisting, stretching—until it took the shape of a small snake-like creature with eight stones on its back and the large stone on its head.
Startled, Rex approached cautiously. The runes lit up brightly—and the snake shot toward him faster than he could react. It raced up his arm; he tried swatting it off, but his hands passed through its form like mist.
It reached his chest. Rex screamed as it burrowed beneath his skin, slithering until it settled over his left pectoral muscle. It curled into a loop and bit its own tail, forming a perfect circle of raised flesh.
The pain overwhelmed him, and his vision went dark. He collapsed onto the bed behind him.