Chapter 20

In total darkness, Brynn and Acker brace themselves against the hull as wind and waves thrash their small boat. They silently agree to keep physical contact so neither is swept away. Freezing water repeatedly floods the hull, and the cold becomes as deadly a threat as the sea itself.

A deep roaring overtakes the storm, reminding Brynn of the catastrophic sea surge that once swallowed half of Alaha. Anticipating the worst, Brynn reaches for Acker. He locks his arms and legs around her and the boat, shouting, "Don’t let go!" as rain needles the air and lightning returns.

When the storm abruptly stills in the eye, the boat pitches forward into a terrifying freefall. Instead of shattering on impact, they hang suspended as lightning spiderwebs across sky and sea, charging the air until every hair on Brynn’s body stands on end.

Another strike illuminates the water around them, revealing long, dark tentacles encircling the boat. As waves mount like moving mountains, the vessel rises as if lifted above the surface, not merely floating but carried.

Acker never loosens his hold through the violence, the eerie calm, or the revelation of the tentacled presence. His unwavering grip keeps Brynn anchored as they pass through the storm’s eye, surviving both nature’s fury and the emergence of an immense, unknown force beneath them.