The moment Dominic laid a hand on the central pillar of the Vault, a low hum echoed through the chamber. Aegirion stiffened, his trident raised in caution. The entire room trembled like it was awakening from an eternal slumber. Symbols carved into the ancient walls began to glow—first faintly, then blindingly bright.
"What did you do?" Aegirion whispered, stepping back.
Dominic didn't answer. His mind was spinning. Visions surged into his skull—lightning storms at sea, ancient battles, the roar of monstrous sea creatures. Then... Poseidon's face. Not as a god—but as a warrior, bloodied and furious, holding a broken trident and screaming into a storm.
Dominic staggered back, his breath shaky. The Vault groaned, as if responding to his pulse.
"This is more than a memory vault," he muttered. "It's alive."
Suddenly, from the depths of the chamber, a chime rang out. A door—one that hadn't existed seconds ago—materialized before them. Carved with strange aquatic runes, it pulsed in time with Dominic's heartbeat.
Aegirion approached, gaze narrowed. "It wants you to go further. But this is madness. Even I have never passed through that gate."
Dominic turned, his voice low. "You're not Poseidon's vessel. I am."
Before Aegirion could protest, Dominic stepped forward. The door opened with a hiss, like a whale's cry. Inside, darkness rippled like ink under moonlight. He took a breath and vanished into the chamber.
It was not what he expected.
He found himself on an open sea—yet he stood on solid ground. Above him, constellations of long-dead sea gods shifted slowly. Beneath his feet, memories played out like holograms—Poseidon's birth, his wars with Titans, the betrayal of his kin, and a strange, burning hatred for one name: Nearida.
Dominic stumbled back as an echoing voice filled the air. It wasn't spoken. It was felt, vibrating in every cell.
"You have awoken the Vault of Salt and Storm. The tides remember. The gods remember. Do you?"
His vision swirled. Poseidon's fury burned within him like acid.
Suddenly, a scream tore through the illusion—it was Aegirion.
Dominic blinked. The dream shattered.
Back in the Vault's physical chamber, Aegirion had been thrown against the wall. Standing over him was a creature of glassy skin and webbed claws—an old guardian stirred by Dominic's entry.
"Move!" Dominic roared.
He didn't think. Power flowed from his palms like hot oil. A wave burst forth, blasting the creature across the room. The guardian hit the far wall and slithered into the shadows, hissing.
Dominic helped Aegirion up. "You alright?"
Aegirion coughed, looking both shocked and impressed. "You… tapped into something ancient. Poseidon's wrath. I felt it."
Dominic said nothing. The Vault was still trembling.
And the door deeper into the abyss had just opened.
The light from the vault flickered and faded.
Dominic stumbled backward, panting, his body trembling from the flood of Poseidon's memories. His mind was full—far too full—with visions that weren't his. Cities crumbled under tsunamis, titanic beasts slumbered beneath reefs, and a kingdom... a whole kingdom that once bowed to him. Or rather, to Poseidon.
"Dominic," Aegirion said softly, reaching toward him, but Dominic recoiled.
"Don't!" he snapped, voice hoarse. "Don't touch me."
Aegirion's hand froze midair.
"You saw them," he said carefully.
"Saw? I lived it. I felt it! Poseidon's rage, his power, the way he looked at mortals like... insects." Dominic's eyes were wild, rimmed with fear. "Is that what you want me to become?"
Aegirion didn't answer immediately. His deep blue eyes remained locked on Dominic, patient but intense.
"That is what you already are becoming," he finally said.
Dominic turned his back to him, pacing. His fingers brushed against the vault wall, and it rippled faintly, still humming from his presence. There were other doors, sealed tight, and they seemed to whisper at him.
"This is why you brought me here," Dominic murmured. "You wanted me to see it for myself."
"I wanted you to understand the weight you carry."
Dominic laughed bitterly. "Weight? No, this is a curse. And you're part of it."
Aegirion flinched. Just slightly. But Dominic caught it.
"You think I haven't noticed? How you always show up right before something happens. You knew the Siren would awaken. You knew about the Queen's plans. You even knew about the vault. So what's your game, Aegirion? What are you hiding from me?"
The silence was louder than the sea.
Aegirion finally stepped back. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you."
"Try me."
But before he could respond, the ground beneath them trembled.
A strange vibration pulsed through the temple floor.
Dominic's body tensed. "What now?"
Aegirion turned to the main vault archway. His jaw clenched. "Something ancient stirs. This temple... it reacts to power, and yours just woke something we buried long ago."
Cracks formed along the vaulted walls. Blue light spilled from the seams, snaking like veins through the temple. The air grew colder, denser.
"Come on," Aegirion said, grabbing Dominic's arm despite the earlier protest.
This time, Dominic didn't resist.
They ran through the echoing corridors of the temple, shadows darting between the flickering light. Statues of sea gods and creatures loomed over them, their eyes glowing faintly.
"Where are we going?" Dominic asked, breath hitching.
"Away from the vault. We woke something... a guardian, maybe more. This place doesn't trust you yet."
They passed a corridor with doors lined with strange glyphs, and Dominic felt his skin crawl. Voices—soft and melodic—whispered in his ears.
"Did you hear that?"
Aegirion nodded grimly. "Those are the ancient sentinels. They're not bound to you. Not yet."
Behind them, the vault door creaked open.
A monstrous hand—scaled and webbed, with claws like coral—slid out of the darkness.
Dominic froze. "Aegirion—"
"Move!"
They leapt down the steps just as a massive creature stepped into the corridor. Towering and grotesque, with barnacles fused into its flesh, and three glowing eyes. Its trident-shaped tongue flicked out, tasting the air.
"Poseidon," it hissed, voice like a drowning chorus.
Dominic's pulse spiked. "It knows me."
Aegirion drew a dagger of swirling water. "Because it once served you. Or maybe it still does. Hard to say with sea beasts."
The creature shrieked and lunged forward.
Dominic dove to the side, rolled, and summoned the pulse he had felt in the vault. His palm flared with blue energy, and water coiled at his feet like snakes.
He didn't have time to think—he just reacted.
The creature lunged again. Dominic raised his hand and unleashed a wave of raw pressure. The beast was flung backward, crashing into a statue which shattered on impact.
"You've got a piece of him," Aegirion muttered. "But not all. Not yet."
Dominic stood slowly. His heartbeat raced, his limbs buzzed with energy, but his eyes didn't leave the creature. It was already recovering, and its grin had widened.
"It wants to test me," Dominic said.
"Then don't hold back," Aegirion replied.
Blue light surged through the temple again.
And in the heart of the vault, something else awakened—a whisper that went unnoticed:
"Soon, the true tide will rise."