Zanya dove alone.
The Moon Pool sealed above her, surface light fracturing into ribbons as she followed a narrow current downward. This wasn't exploration for curiosity anymore—this was instinct. The pull beneath Mako had been growing stronger since her Saltborn awakening, tugging at her chest like gravity with intent.
As she slipped into the submerged cave system, her presence triggered something ancient.
Stone walls emerged from the dark—not jagged, not random. Carved. Coral had been shaped, guided into spirals and arches that no natural reef would form. Her Song of Calm (Tolkien) hummed faintly, unbidden, and the glyphs responded.
Soft light bloomed.
Not bright. Not active. Just… aware.
[SALTBORN RESONANCE DETECTED]
[Environmental Anomaly — Non-Hostile]
Zanya slowed, heart pounding. She drifted closer, fingertips brushing a carved symbol half-swallowed by coral. The moment she touched it, the marking glowed silver-gold—echoing the Moon Pool's light.
Her vision swam with impressions:
Currents flowing in patterns too deliberate to be tides.
Structures layered far below.
A civilization built with the ocean, not against it.
Atlantis—but only a whisper of it.
Not ruins. Markers.
She pulled back sharply as the glow dimmed.
"Not yet," she murmured.
The Dragon stirred faintly below, chains humming but distant. Exhausted. Waiting.
Zanya surfaced just long enough to breathe, then summoned her System interface with a flick of thought.
She needed tools.
The Animal Crossing workbench shimmered into existence beside a stable rock shelf, anchoring itself magically against the current.
[WORKBENCH DEPLOYED — Underwater Mode Enabled]
Zanya selected Materialki Crafting—tentative, experimental.
[AVAILABLE MATERIALS DETECTED]
• Hardened kelp fiber
• Bioluminescent shell fragments
• Salt-charged coral dust
She hesitated, then committed SC.
[PURCHASE CONFIRMED — Crafting Supplies Bundle]
[Cost: 1,200 SC]
Her hands moved almost instinctively.
She fused shell fragments into a curved lens, reinforcing it with coral dust until it hardened without cracking.
[ITEM CREATED — Lumen Shell]
[Effect: Emits focused low-light glow underwater]
A subtle warmth spread through her chest.
[MINOR BUFF GAINED]
[• Deep-Sea Visibility +5%]
Encouraged, she tried again.
This time she wove kelp fibers together, compressing them with Materialki precision until they formed a flexible, armored wrap that resisted drag.
[ITEM CREATED — Current-Ward Wrap]
[Effect: Reduces resistance in hostile currents]
[MINOR BUFF GAINED]
[• Swim Stability +3%
• Pressure Resistance +1]
Zanya laughed softly, bubbles escaping her lips.
"It works…"
The water felt different around her now—less strain, more harmony. Her Saltborn magic didn't overpower the tools; it cooperated with them. Gravity, current, material—all aligned.
---
As she went back toward the carved wall, the glyphs flickered again, brighter this time.
[ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSE CONFIRMED]
[Saltborn Presence — Recognized]
Not activated.
Not unlocked.
Recognized.
Zanya swallowed.
Atlantis wasn't revealing itself yet—but it had noticed her.
She gathered her tools, dismissed the workbench, and let the current guide her back upward. The glow faded behind her, patient and deliberate.
Above, the Moon Pool waited.
Below, something ancient watched.
And for the first time, Zanya understood:
Her progression wasn't just about power.
It was about permission.