The sun had already dipped below the horizon when Severa and Einar found themselves surrounded by a green mist. So far, nothing unusual had happened, but Severa braced herself for the worst. A low, rumbling sound echoed across the sea. She wondered if it was the mist calling to them. At times, the water seemed to tremble in sync with a strange rattling noise that reached her ears, like a wave crashing onto the shore and then slowly retreating.

Where the endless, pristine sea had once filled her with unease, she now longed for its shimmering blue expanse. The sky was now an ominous green, and the water was strewn with slimy creatures, often piled atop one another, making it impossible to distinguish one from the next. For a moment, she thought the water might be poisoned, but if that were the mist's only danger, it wouldn't explain why the ocean was littered with wreckage.

It was like a graveyard of ships. These weren't the remnants of stray fishermen. Bows and masts still jutting out of the water were too ornately decorated to belong to common folk, yet too plain to have served nobility. She recognized one of the vessels; she'd often seen it docked at Sylvamarius's port. Its merchant usually returned before the first snowfall, but not this year. He'd been torn apart, just like his ship.

Most of the debris seemed to belong to scouts. Symbols of various kingdoms were etched into the wood. She recognized many: the Jörmungandr of Brimsjá, the Cornicani of Finemici, and the Ifrit of Mulk Al-Asaf. They had come from everywhere. Was this the place they had been searching for, or had they stumbled upon it during their journey? She suspected no one had ever returned from the green mist because she'd never heard of it before.

Why was that? What lurked within the mist that claimed everyone's lives?

Einar's courage diminished with every stroke of the oars. The current pulled them faster and deeper into the mist. His face had turned so pale it almost glowed in the darkness, and he could barely resist the current anymore. Severa took the oars from him when he was too weak to continue.

She paddled, and for a moment, the reflection of the clear, starry sky appeared on the surface, only to vanish again beneath the scum of dead sea creatures. The stench was unbearable.

The boat swayed gently. The rumbling sound echoed across the sea again, growing louder and more frequent. At first, she thought it was her imagination, but now even Einar seemed to notice.

"W-what... was that?" Einar asked fearfully.

"Probably an undersea quake," Severa muttered as confidently as possible, though her eyes betrayed her uncertainty as they scanned the still sea. Her heart raced with the nagging thought: Do undersea quakes even exist?

Einar hesitated, peering nervously over the boat's edge as the water shuddered again. "Undersea quakes don't rattle," he mumbled, trembling. And Severa knew he had to be right.

Suddenly, her eyes caught movement beneath the surface as she paddled through the dead creatures. Something was stirring under the dark water—something large.

A piercing screech confirmed her suspicions. Einar clung to her in reflexive fear. "Severa!" he squeaked hoarsely, his gaze fixed on something rising above the horizon. Severa glanced over her shoulder and recoiled, toppling off the bench. She stumbled over Einar, who clung to her, and landed on her back, staring up at the monstrous figure.

Its skin was black and slick, like an eel's. Long, translucent tendrils dangled from its gills, swirling around it like sheets caught in the wind.

Its pointed maw, filled with razor-sharp teeth, was clearly aimed at them, and its uvula vibrated with the horrifying sound it emitted.

With a slow, undulating motion, its head drew closer. Severa swore she could see her reflection in its enormous black pupils. Its fetid breath brushed against her cheeks, reeking of decayed sea creatures and making her dizzy.

Its stomach was the last place she wanted to end up, though she couldn't help but think a diet of forest food might improve its breath.

Carefully, she reached for the bow on her back. One wrong move, and the creature would surely attack. Her hands wrapped around the bow while her gaze remained locked on the beast's unblinking eyes.

The bow was pinned between her and Einar. "Let me go," she hissed softly but sternly. Hesitantly, Einar released her arms, and she slid off him, moving so slowly she hoped the creature wouldn't notice her rising.

The monster's guttural murmurs grew louder as its head swayed back and forth, waiting for the right moment to strike.

Severa drew an arrow from her quiver. Then, as quickly as she could, she nocked the arrow, drew the bowstring, and released it.

The arrow whizzed through the air and pierced the creature's right eye with a sickening screech. As swiftly as it had appeared, the beast vanished beneath the dark surface once more.

Severa wiped her forehead and slung the bow over her back. "Well, that wasn't so bad," she sighed in both relief and disbelief. She turned to Einar, who seemed either recovered from his fright or adept at hiding it.

Embarrassed, Einar scratched his head, then rolled his eyes in mock dismissal. "Well," he sighed, with a surprising glint of pride in his eyes. "That wasn't so bad! I could've sworn there were two of them." He gripped his sword's hilt and charmingly shook his disheveled hair out of his face. "I was going to cover you against the second one, but luckily, it wasn't necessary."

He threw an arm around Severa's shoulders and gave her a hearty pat. "Well done! We're such a strong team!" he said with a wink.

Severa stared at him in disbelief, pulling away from his grasp. The same disbelief was mirrored in his crooked grin, fully aware he hadn't been nearly as heroic as he'd hoped. Shaking her head in disapproval, Severa couldn't help but smile faintly at his almost endearing bravado.

Einar stood up, raising his sword. "The next one's mine!" he proclaimed proudly, slicing the air with practiced strokes. He had likely honed his skills in castle gardens, but it was doubtful he'd ever faced anything more dangerous than a fluttering butterfly.

Suddenly, a loud crash and the splintering of wood shattered the moment. Severa whipped around to see the eel-like creature wrapping its long, slimy body around a piece of wreckage and tearing it apart.

"Alright, here's your chance!" Severa nodded to Einar, her pulse racing. But Einar quickly sheathed his sword and ducked behind the boat's bench.