Then, from the depths, another group arose.
Their bodies were large, covered in thick, layered shells that looked ancient, more like carved stone than living flesh, with faint marks and lines that hinted at age and endurance. Their movements were slow, deliberate, yet every step carried a quiet force that could not be ignored, as if the ocean itself adjusted around them.
The Tidal Colossi.
There were only a few of them, but their presence alone made the space feel heavier.
At the front stood one whose shell carried cracks filled with faint glowing lines, like marks that had deepened with time instead of fading.
He looked at the gathered figures, then at the island, and let out a slow breath.
"Sigh.....Sirens, Ocean Elves and even Shark Kin....along with hundreds of other races....and still counting.....," he said, his voice deep and steady, though there was a trace of recognition in it, "it seems this is not a simple disturbance, not something that can be ignored."
The Shark Kin leader tilted his head slightly. "You saying that already tells me this is worth staying for."
The Ocean Elf Princess gave a small nod. "When he says something is not simple, it usually means it is worse than expected, or at least more complicated than we would like."
The Colossus let out a low rumble that might have been a quiet laugh. "Or more interesting, depending on how you look at it."
Seris finally spoke again, ignoring everything as her gaze was still fixed on the island. "The waves are not being disturbed."
That sentence drew everyone’s attention again.
"They are being guided," she continued, her voice steady, as if she was stating something she was already certain of, leaving little room for doubt.
The Shark Kin leader frowned slightly this time, not in confusion, but in focus. "Guided by what," he asked, his tone a little more serious now, his earlier ease fading.
Seris did not answer immediately.
She seemed to listening to something.
Then she spoke.
"A Heart is about to beat.....for the first time..."
That single line did not settle quietly.
It cut through the gathering like something completely out of place, leaving a faint tension in its wake.
For a moment, the ocean itself felt still, but the expressions of those present changed instantly.
The Shark Kin leader frowned deeply, his eyes locking onto Seris as if trying to read whether she was serious or not.
"A heart...?" he repeated, but this time there was clear disbelief in his tone, mixed with irritation. "What are you even saying, how does something like that even be possible?"
The Ocean Elf Princess turned toward her fully now, her earlier calm replaced with sharp focus. "This is not the time for vague words," she said, her voice steady but carrying weight, "if you sensed something, explain it properly, do not leave it half said."
Even the Tidal Colossus shifted his gaze toward Seris, his presence growing heavier, not aggressive, but pressing for answers.
"We are not here for riddles, Seris." he added, his deep voice slow and firm, "What exactly did you feel, say it clearly."
They knew, that the Sirens were very sensitive to the tunes and rhythm of Ocean, so they did not ignore her words, even if they did not fully understand them.
Seris did not react to their words immediately.
Her gaze remained fixed on the island, as if everything else around her had faded.
"I am not certain," she said after a brief pause, her tone unchanged, which only made it more frustrating to hear, "but the waves..."
She slightly tilted her head, as if trying to listen more carefully.
"They are not random."
The Shark Kin leader clicked his tongue softly. "We already know that much," he said, his patience thinning, "you said something about a heart, what does that even mean, explain it clearly."
"...they feel familiar," she said slowly, as if choosing each word with care, not rushing her thoughts.
The Ocean Elf Princess narrowed her eyes. "Familiar... how?"
Seris remained silent for a second, then spoke again.
"Like a pulse or a beat"
That word landed heavier than before.
The Shark Kin leader’s expression hardened slightly, though his instincts forced him to look down at the water beneath him. At first, he saw nothing unusual beyond what they had already noticed.
But then he stilled.
His focus sharpened.
The movement of the water... it was not chaotic.
It rose.
Then fell.
A slight pause.
Then again.
His brows furrowed.
"...no," he muttered under his breath, though his eyes did not leave the water, as if trying to deny what he was starting to notice.
The Ocean Elf Princess followed his gaze, her senses extending outward as she tried to grasp what he had just noticed.
A few seconds passed.
Then her expression changed.
"...this rhythm..." she whispered, her voice losing some of its earlier control, "this is not just flow... it repeats too precisely..."
"...it resembles a Heart beat, but Its impossible right...."
The Shark Kin leader let out a sharp breath, frustration still present, but now mixed with something else. "So you are telling me..." he said, his voice low, "...that the entire ocean is moving like a heart, beating in a pattern?"
Seris did not answer directly.
She simply looked at the island again.
"I do not know what it is," she said quietly, and for the first time there was a slight crease in her calm expression, "but whatever is there...it has only begun...."
Before they could continue further, another presence arrived.
An elderly woman stepped onto the surface, supported by several glowing fish that circled around her gently, their movement calm, almost soothing against the tension in the air, their faint light adding a soft glow around her.
The Koi Ancients.
She looked at the gathered figures, her expression peaceful, as if she had expected to see all of them here.
"You all gathered faster than I thought," she said softly, her voice carrying a quiet warmth, "it seems the ocean truly did not hide this well, or perhaps it wanted to be found."
The Shark Kin leader crossed his arms loosely. "You usually stay away from things like this unless they are worth it."
She smiled faintly. "And yet you are always drawn toward them, even when they are not, as if you cannot resist it."
The Shark kin leader flexed his muscles as he said, "That’s because I like challenges and fighting to death.....and this feels like it might be worth it."
Her gaze shifted toward the island, lingering there.
"This is not something you can understand by rushing forward," she said gently, "not everything that calls attention is meant to be approached, some things are meant to be observed first."
The Ocean Elf Princess inclined her head slightly. "Elder Lian, if even you came, then this is no small matter. Do you also think....this is the same thing from the Myths? The Heart of the Ocean...??"
Elder Lian’s smile remained, but her eyes turned a little more serious as she heard that question.
"The Heart of the Ocean...," she said softly, repeating the words as if thinking about them carefully, "that is not something we should jump to so quickly."
The Shark Kin leader gave a faint scoff, though it was not as confident as before.
"Myths stay myths for a reason," he said, but his gaze was still fixed on the island, as if he did not fully believe his own words.
The Ocean Elf Princess did not look away from Elder Lian. "But this is not normal either," she said calmly, her voice steady but a little heavier now, "the waves, the rhythm... everything feels too precise."
Elder Lian looked toward the sea, her expression thoughtful. "In the old stories, they did not speak of a thing you could see or hold," she said simply, "they spoke of a presence, something that could move the Oceans at will. But it is just that, a Myth."
The Tidal Colossus looked toward the waters below. "A pulse like this?" he asked.
Elder Lian did not confirm it directly. "What we are feeling now... is similar," she replied, "but similarity does not mean it is the same thing."
"So, what should we do now, Elder Lian, what’s the Stand of Alliance on this?"
The Ocean Elf Princess asked.
But Elder Liam just stayed silent, not responding to her, before she said, "We wait....for now..."
For a brief moment, no one responded.
More figures continued to gather one by one and the Ocean around the Island started to get crowded, and within just few minutes, miles of area around the island was surrounded from all sides, but no one made the first move towards the island, the tension only continuing to build as more eyes turned toward the same point.
They all wanted the piece of the pie and because of the Ocean Alliance they can’t fight with each other, but after Seeing Elder Lian there, they all stopped, watching her and waiting for her to give directions as of how to proceed, holding back their instincts for now.
But as Elder Lian opened her mouth to speak, a deafening boom resounded from the island.
-BOOOM!!!!!
-RUMBLEE!!!!!!
***