“Magnetic North affects the formation of rocks on the seafloor because of their trace amounts of magnetic elements like iron that are found within them. Oceanic crust forms from diverging plates so when Magnetic north is reversed, these rocks-”

 

Kyungsoo sighs to himself as he sips his coffee. Jongdae sits next to him, taking proper notes as Baekhyun drones on and on in his lecture. 

 

It’s been nearly two months since they had begun their journey, and nearly three months since Heechul had first approached him about his offer. 

 

Kyungsoo had been very eager to leave as soon as possible once he had signed all of the necessary paperwork and confirmed to Heechul that he would be going. However, as he should have expected, scientific journeys like this don’t just begin overnight. A month of preparations were still needed even after Kyungsoo had been onboarded for the whole program.

 

The huge submersible they would all be travelling on was massive, and Heechul made sure all of the engineers that had created it were running test after test to make sure nothing would fail during their voyage. During that, Kyungsoo was busy briefing and being briefed by other team members that would be joining him on this voyage. Most were archaeologists or historians like himself, but many were much older than him and usually did not take his points and comments as seriously as they should. Because of that, Kyungsoo never really grew close with them despite how often he would see them.

 

It wasn’t until the submersible was ready did Kyungsoo meet others participating in the expedition as well. Once the ship was off and the excitement of finally being able to try to accomplish what he always thought would only be a dream wore off, Kyungsoo found himself wandering the submersible aimlessly for something to do. He eventually ran into a small group that would eventually become his closest friends on the journey. 

 

Junmyeon was a doctor that Kyungsoo found out was actually a highly trained specialist for infectious diseases, but says he was also brought on as a general doctor to take care of the crew if they need it. Kyungsoo sometimes attends his first aid classes when he can. He likes being around Junmyeon because he’s usually pretty quiet and is very sweet with whoever he speaks to.

 

Jongdae and Baekhyun, however, are the opposite.

 

Jongdae is a very cheeky guy equipped with one liners that could roast any man and is only about a year older than Kyungsoo. He’s apparently one of the engineers that helped build the submersible, and is head of his team during the expedition. He deals largely with the advanced technology inside, to which Kyungsoo said made him the ‘ computer nerd ’ and Jongdae had looked at him as if he had offended his entire existence. In turn, Jongdae had mentioned how both of them speak different languages and before Kyungsoo could state that computer coding is not a language, Jongdae hit him with a quick ‘ but at least not all the people that understand my language are dead.” To which Kyungsoo thought of every curse he could think of in old norse and latin.

 

As for Baekhyun, well.

 

Kyungsoo still isn’t so sure what Baekhyun’s job here even is, all he knows is he has three degrees too many for Kyungsoo to ever remember properly. The other man had rattled off something about Zoology, Botany, and Ecology or something to that effect. When Kyungsoo had questioned him why he bothered with so many different subjects, Baekhyun’s answer was just a simple “ I couldn’t pick one so I just did them all ”. Kyungsoo soon learned that his dead panned expression he had in response to the other man would end up being his default look anytime the other is around. 

 

Baekhyun is full of snide comments and likes to test Kyungsoo’s patience on almost every occasion they are together, but Kyungsoo has learned that that’s just how the other man is. In fact, it’s almost comforting to have someone like Baekyun to bicker with when usually he feels so alone if he is on his own. Baekhyun seems to be the same way, because eventually he somehow bribed Kyungsoo’s bunkmates to trade rooms with him and the others Kyungsoo hangs around. Now they all have their own shared space and it takes a load off of Kyungsoo’s shoulders considering how suffocating it can be when Kyungsoo has to deal with stuffy old men all day that don’t ever take him seriously. 

 

Now Junmyeon and Jongdae share the bunk beside him, and Baekhyun sleeps above his bed. Yixing is another member of their little gang that joined in after Jongdae had introduced him one day as they were all eating lunch. He sleeps on the extra mattress closer to the door of their little room. As Kyungsoo grew closer with him, he found out he was another head engineer just like Jongdae, but only has the rep of being the ‘ radar guy ’ since that’s his job when he isn’t on break or sleeping for the night.

 

They all got along really well and Kyungsoo is very grateful because that made time passing a lot easier. However, that is all Kyungsoo can think about these days.

 

Time.

 

He’s not a child. He is very well-aware that expeditions like theirs take time . They’re looking for Atlantis for God’s sake, but Kyungsoo is getting anxious and impatient with each day that stretches on into the next.

 

He just wishes endlessly to see something that would signify they’re at least on the right track. According to all of Kyungsoo’s research, they’re in the right area, but the ocean is nothing but a dark abyss and the deeper they go, the less they seem to find.

 

Just more rocks and plants, which means more lectures by Baekhyun. 

 

“As you can see, the patterns within the igneous rocks match with the patterns of Magnetic North. Without proper carbon dating we can’t be sure but this is great news considering the idea that the island or continent of Atlantis is similarly dated. Unless Atlantis happens to be formed from a hot spot and slowly turned into an atoll, we should be on the right track.”

 

There’s a loud clattering sound from the opposite side of the table and Kyungsoo blinks up to see Junmyeon had dropped his pen with a softly irritated expression. The usually very composed and kind doctor is now staring at Baekhyun with a very deep crease between his eyebrows, obviously unable to keep up with the terms of the oceanographer. 

 

“Speak human, please.” 

 

Baekhyun’s hand flew up to rub at the back of his nape. He seems tired. A quiet groan escaped his lips, followed by a blank stare and a deadpan: 

 

“Old rocks. We’re getting there.” 

 

Kyungsoo throws a quick glance around the table. Most of the people attending seem either way too tired or way too bored. Maybe even both. 

 

Jongdae’s diligent notes, he realizes, are anything but diligent. A quick look towards his notebook confirms it - it’s now filled with bad sketches of Pokemon. 

 

Baekhyun’s voice turns into a buzzing background noise as Kyungsoo rests his chin on his hand and tries his best to stay focused on the unclear images on the large monitor behind Baekhyun, the real-life footage of the cameras installed at the front of the submersible. The projectors illuminate the oceanic plate, the rocks and the plants that keep mocking them day after day.

 

Hie eyelids feel way too heavy and he is barely even keeping his eyes on those swaying seaweeds when the projectors move to illuminate another corner of the ocean depths in front of them. 

 

It’s just a bunch of rocks, once again. But it is not the rocks that catch his attention, per say. It’s something he sees for a brief second, something that has him straightening up in his seat and furrowing his eyebrows. He is suddenly very much awake, fingers gripping around the handle of his coffee cup. 

 

“Hold on,”  Kyungsoo interrupts and the legs of his chair scrape against the floor when he pushes it back to stand up. Baekhyun is blinking at him in mostly confusion when Kyungsoo rounds the table to get closer to the monitor. He stands right in front of it, effectively blocking everybody’s view. 

 

He squints at the display of the obsidian colored rocks.

 

Maybe he’s just imagining it. Maybe it’s the exhaustion creeping through his veins and messing with his mind. Or maybe it is the built-up anxiety from all the days that had passed and the worry of all the days to come. 

 

It’s just wishful thinking, he reckons as he feels his shoulders slumping when he begins to give up.

 

He purses his lips, intently staring at the monitor still. Just old rocks, various plants situated among the rock formations. No animals in sight. Nothing but absolute darkness. 

 

And then he sees it again for the fraction of a second - a silver shine on the surfaces of one of the rocks. Faint, short, almost non-existent, but it catches the light of the submersible that shines on it briefly.

 

“ There !!” he bellows as soon as he sees the flash of silver, finger flying out to point exactly where it had just been. “Look at those rocks!” 

 

“That’s what I’ve been doing for the past three hours! These are the rocks we’ve been-” 

 

Kyungsoo just shushes Baekhyun, eyes still trained on the closest rock. His fingers are lying flat against the TV screen. The lights from the submersible are still shining down just enough for him to see.

 

There it is.

 

His heart skips a beat when he takes in the small symbol engraved in the stone - barely visible in the darkness, under the sediment that had settled over the surface of the rock. Baekhyun is suddenly stuck to his side, cheek nearly against his as he tries to see it as well. He stiffens when the light suddenly disappears, moving elsewhere as the submersible turns in its course.

 

Both of them look at each other for the briefest moments, Kyungsoo’s eyes widen. Time slows down as Kyungsoo’s gaze goes from Baekhyun, to the door at the end of the room.

 

He hardly even registers that he runs for the door, barely breathing as he sprints down the halls. He tries to be gentle as he pushes people out of the way, but he needs to get to the main cockpit quickly. He can hear his heartbeat in his ears as he rounds each corner, looking like an absolute madman as he slides into the main control room. Somewhere behind him, he thinks he hears Baekyun, Junmyeon, and Jongdae slide to a stop.

 

“Kyungsoo,” Junmyeon starts to say, but Kyungsoo ignores him.

 

“You need to go back to where we just were. Right now!” His voice is loud, demanding even. A few of the crew members look at him, a little bewildered. 

 

“Mr. Do, we’re already steering towards another course laid out by one of the other archaeologists-”

 

“I saw something!” Kyungsoo yells, stunning everyone in the room into silence. “So go back right now!”

 

Everyone sits there in shock, their minds reeling. Behind him, Jongdae sighs in frustration.

 

“For ’s sake.” Jongdae marches past Kyungsoo, moving one of the active crew members aside and typing furiously into the computer. Kyungsoo walks over, seeing him inputting various coding into the system. Junmyeon grips Kyungsoo’s shoulder when he nearly falls over from the force of the submersible stopping itself. There’s a large humming heard throughout the entire ship, and Kyungsoo lets out a breath of relief when he sees the familiar rock formations again. 

 

He smiles at Jongdae for a second, going back to the middle of the control room and staring out through the observation window at the front. Jongdae throws a few orders around, Yixing there on duty and helping him turn on brighter spotlights. They scan the area, and Kyungsoo doesn’t think he’s  breathing.

 

“It wasn’t here. More towards the left. These rock formations weren’t even in view- Here .”

 

Baekhyun’s voice is drowned out as Kyungsoo’s heart pounds. He stares at the black rocks, eyes desperately scanning them all until finally he catches the same glint of silver as before. It’s so quiet in the room, you could hear a pin drop.

 

Kyungsoo smiles, eyes feeling like they’re tearing up.

 

“There it is,” he whispers. His eyes widen, panicking as he looks around him. “M-My book. Where is my-”

 

Junmyeon hands it to him carefully, giving him an excited look. “I grabbed it when you ran out.”

 

Kyungsoo thanks him quietly, quick to open it. He flips through the pages, eyes scanning over each page filled with a combination of his horrible handwritten notes and various pictures pasted inside. Everyone watches, waiting with bated breath.

 

“Come on, I know it’s here,” he mutters to himself, pausing when he finally finds it. Baekhyun and Junmyeon peek over his shoulder, Jongdae not even bothering to give him personal space as he just suddenly presses himself to Kyungsoo’s side.

 

It’s a perfect match.

 

His hand drawn symbol looks a tad bit messier than the one in the hidden beneath the sediment, but it’s a match . 

 

“Holy ,” Baekhyun says, and Kyungsoo can’t help but to agree.

 

Jongdae looks to one of the crew members beside Yixing. “Krystal, activate the sweeper. We need to get a clearer picture.”

 

Kyungsoo panics, but Baekhyun beats him to the punch.

 

“No! Stop!” Baekhyun looks at Jongdae in alarm. “If you kick up the sediment we won’t see for days until it settles again!”

 

“Relax,” Jongdae says. “You think we didn’t think of this?! Yixing and his team developed smaller, remote controlled bots to swim out and collect samples. It won’t disturb much, don’t worry.”

 

Kyungsoo relaxes a little at that, eyes still practically glued to the observation deck window. 

 

“Sweeper deployed,” someone says, and suddenly a little bot comes into view. The observation decks monitors tune into the camera mounted within the bot, and Kyungsoo suddenly feels like crying again when he sees the symbol up close.

 

The sweeper gently glides over it, as if rubbing away the thin sediment collected over it. The silver glint is shining brightly now, and Kyungsoo feels so overwhelmed at just the sight alone. Junmyeon pats his back, and Kyungsoo beams up at him, looking back to the screens.

 

“What does it mean?” Junmyeon asks quietly. “The symbol.”

 

Kyungsoo looks down at his book, finger pointing to his notes. “It means to protect.”

 

Junmyeon laughs incredulously and Kyungsoo joins in. “God… We really found something.”

 

Everyone around them cheers, excitement buzzing in the air because finally after months of not getting anything, they found something physical. 

 

Baekhyun is the only one not celebrating, though. His brows are furrowed as he steps a little closer, raising his voice to speak over the others in the room.

 

“Wait… Can it keep sweeping?”

 

Jongdae nods, looking down at the crew member controlling it. Everyone watches as the tiny bot glides ever so slowly through the water, wiping away sediment inch by inch. Kyungsoo’s heart is in his throat when more symbols glint in the light as the robot keeps moving, symbols Kyungsoo has never seen in his life.

 

None of these even match the lectures he’s sat through in the past two months.

 

These are all completely new, and if it wasn’t for Baekhyun’s extreme hesitance, he would be jumping up and down with excitement. Because the robot keeps moving endlessly, more and more symbols showing as the spotlight moves in a snake light pattern with it.

 

“Any of those look familiar?” a man’s voice resounds around in the silence, and Kyungsoo recognizes it as that of one of the archeologists. He doesn’t turn to acknowledge the question, eyes just trained on the orderly symbols appearing on the surface of the black rock. 

 

They don’t really look like anything he has seen before. In fact, the more that is revealed and the longer he looks, they start reminding him of patterns from different folklores in most distant corners of the world. 

 

It looks more like thousands of tiny drawings instead of a written language, but then he notices something else. What he originally interpreted as symbols at first, he realizes are actually some sort of cracks in the material of the rock. However, rather than all of the examples of igneous rocks that Baekhyun had shown in his lectures- where the cracks had been random and not at all symmetrical- these look like they were made on purpose .

 

“But for what?” Kyungsoo mutters to himself, in his own little world as others around him talk adamantly among themselves.

 

“What’s wrong?” Jongdae suddenly asks beside him, staring at him in worry. “Why do you look so troubled?”

 

“It’s just… the markings. The ones below those symbols there,” Kyungsoo says, pointing. “They don’t look natural.”

 

“They kind of remind me of tribal markings I’ve seen in cultures in Africa or India,” Jongdae says, grinning when Kyungsoo gives him a surprised look. “History minor, remember?”

 

“Right… But why leave them here ?”

 

“It could be ruins of a temple of sorts. I mean, there are plenty of cultures that put their temples farther away from their civilization. Sometimes they’re even used as gateways to cities.” Jongdae shrugs, directing his gaze towards the man controlling the bot. “Increase intensity by ten percent and switch to circular . We need clearer images.” 

 

Kyungsoo nods, fascinated now the longer he stares at the magnificent sight in front of him. He smiles at the little bot momentarily halting before starting to move a little faster. It seems to move too fast for a moment, like the person controlling it made it turn too sharply. Kyungsoo cringes when it runs head on into the symbols instead of gliding over them, but nothing seems damaged so he relaxes. He chuckles at the curses he hears from the crew member controlling it, watching as the bot goes back to sweeping away the settled sediment like before.

 

“You know, this means we’re getting closer,” he gushes excitedly. “If there are ruins here, it means we’re getting closer to where the entire city once stood.”

 

Baekhyun, though, still looks entirely too concerned for his liking.

 

“Guys, something isn’t right about this.” Junmyeon hushes him softly, telling him to lower his voice. Baekhyun shakes his head. “No, something is really not right here.”

 

Kyungsoo and Jongdae look at him, and Kyungsoo is surprised to see how uncomfortable the other man looks. Somewhere off to the side, he hears Yixing gasp but he doesn’t bother to look, too focused on Baekhyun.

 

“Baekhyun, what are you talking about?” Kyungsoo asks.

 

“It’s just… Doesn’t this all seem a little strange to you?”

 

“Jongdae,” Yixing says in the background.

 

Jongdae ignores him.

 

“Spit it out, rock man. What’s got your in a twist?” Jongdae asks point blank.

 

What surprises Kyungsoo is that Baekhyun doesn’t even have a remark for that, just continuing to look out the observation window with a concerned expression.

 

“The rocks look too smooth to be down here.” 

 

“Jongdae.” Yixing’s voice sounds a little strained this time, and Kyungsoo glances at him for a moment.

 

“Well no . We already established that they were put here.” 

 

“Yes, but that’s exactly what I’m saying. If they were put here that means that was thousands and thousands of years ago.” Baekhyun pauses, brow furrowed. Junmyeon blinks at him. “That means-”

 

“There should be more sediment,” Kyungsoo says breathlessly, eyes widening. He feels his heart constricting in his chest.

 

“I’m still lost,” Jongdae says bluntly.

 

“Look, computer nerd,” Baekhyun snaps. “When things like this are at the bottom of the ocean there is a certain wear and tear to them. But this is smooth, and those cracks that Kyungsoo mentioned haven’t even chipped away like they should have during their time when they were still exposed to elements on land-”

 

“Jongdae.”

 

“- and now we’re dealing with another problem because there have been volcanoes in this area in recent history. That means volcanic ash that should have fallen to the seafloor. Everything else is absolutely smothered in it, but not this .”

 

Jongdae’s mouth opens and closes, obviously at a loss for words.

 

“You guys .”

 

“ What , Yixing?” Jongdae finally answers, voice exasperated.

 

“You should come check this out,” the engineer says while pushing his chair back from the radar monitors, freeing up some space for all the scientists that immediately scramble around him. 

 

Kyungsoo peers down at the green screens, seeing the blinking red dot that signifies where they are at the moment. Everything else looks confusing to him. He can’t really tell what the different shades of green on the screen signify. 

 

There is, however, a darker mass of green around their submersible. But when he hears Jongdae let out a breath, practically lying down on the desk in order to see the monitors better, he knows that something must be wrong. 

 

“What is that?” Junmyeon asks from somewhere behind them, and Kyungsoo just steps away so he can get a better look. Kyungsoo glances around at the other crew mates, them all not even paying them any mind at the moment as some of the archaeologists furiously write down the symbols they’re seeing in their notebooks.

 

“I don’t know. It could be an electromagnetic interference of some sort,” Yixing shoots Jongdae a quick look, turning some of the knobs simultaneously. “Did you check the antennas today?” 

 

“Did the ing sun rise in the east?” 

 

Kyungsoo moves back away from the engineers and away from all those people swarmed against them. Instead, he nears the glass of the observation deck. Only Baekhyun is still standing there, with a concerned grimace pulling on his lips. He looks a little pale now as he glances to Kyungsoo.

 

“Kyungsoo… How many years do you think that sediment accumulated for?” Kyungsoo blinks, not liking the way Baekhyun is looking at him. “Because to me… it looks like ten years, tops.”

 

Kyungsoo can barely process what Baekhyun is saying, trying to understand why that would be significant in this moment. But then he remembers the phone call he had gotten in the middle of the night almost exactly ten years ago, having to console his mother as she cried through the night, attending the funeral a few days later and having to watch his parents carry an empty urn to bury. Kyungsoo feels his eyes sting with tears at the realization, heart constricting in his chest.

 

“Somebody turn on the damn telecom,” he hears Jongdae bellowing from the back. “Put it on the loudspeaker.” 

 

He’s just about to ask Baekhyun what all this could possibly mean when a loud and sharp sound resounds around the entire submersible the moment Yixing flicks a switch. It is so loud and sudden that it makes the hairs on the back of Kyungsoo’s neck stand up. It sounds almost like a wail, a deep and animalistic one, echoing inside the submersible as it is being blasted through the loudspeakers of the radar’s telecom. 

 

Baekhyun is looking around frantically, hands secure around the railing, his eyes scanning the dark waters in front of them. Kyungsoo blinks as the sound becomes louder, with a reverb almost. It cuts off sporadically, though, as if it is moving. 

 

“Uh, Baekhyun?” Jongdae is the first one to straighten up. The zoologist looks at him with widened eyes. “Are there such things as demonic whales because that’s exactly what this sounds like.” 

 

The sound fades a little and Kyungsoo realizes he’s been holding his breath for a solid minute. He looks around cautiously. 

 

“It could have been an interference,” Yixing suggests, furiously typing something in the command prompt of the radars. 

 

“An interference?!” one of the other archeologists scoffs. “We’re over a thousand meters deep in the ocean. What could possibly interfere?” 

 

“Nothing alive. Nothing that big ,” Baekhyun clicks his tongue, looking increasingly alarmed. There is no trace of the playful bickering and jabs Kyungsoo had gotten so used to in the past two months.
 

“Maybe the parabolic reflector of the antenna got damaged,” Yixing shrugs, standing up from the chair. “I’ll go check on it again, just in case.” 

 

“Is it just me,” Junmyeon says, voice very alarmed now. “Or are those symbols glowing ?”

 

There is an eerie hush that comes over everyone in the room as the symbols start to glow brightly, now a glacier blue rather than silver like before. Suddenly, another watery screech comes through the loudspeakers and Kyungsoo grabs onto Baekhyun beside him when the sediment around the symbols start to kick up. He watches in horror as something starts to move, the glowing symbols moving as well.

 

“Back us up,” Jongdae says, voice small. He looks to his crew piloting the submersible, screaming now. “ Back us up!! ”

 

The crew scrambles to do so, and Kyungsoo can’t take his eyes off of the sight in front of him as the submersible suddenly jerks back. Most nearly fall over from the force, but luckily Kyungsoo is stabilized by Baekhyun’s death grip on the bar in front of him. 

 

Now that they’re farther up, the glowing symbols disappear within the cloud of kicked up sediment from the ocean floor. It’s silent as no one breathes’ waiting anxiously.

 

That’s when they hear it again.

 

That awful screech.

 

But before Kyungsoo can even react, he sees a flash of the glowing symbols through the cloud at the bottom. The next moment, something emerges, and all Kyungsoo can process in that moment is the sight of a wide mouth lined with sharp teeth coming straight for them.

 

No one even has time to scream because the thing scrapes against the entire side of the submersible, cracking the double sided glass. The sound of scraping metal fills his ears and the moment it stops, alarms start to blare throughout the entire ship. The voices of the frantic crew are the only thing Kyungsoo can process now.

 

“The left hull is completely offline!”

 

“Switch propellers! Pull us back!” Jongdae is screaming, fingers pointing towards the controls at the front of the deck.”Top reverse speed! Change the course once we’re far enough from that thing.” 

 

“Our left propeller is damaged! The system isn’t responding to any commands.”

 

“Then use the emergency one!” Jongdae sounds pissed off and frantic, moving the guy aside and inputting the proper commands himself. The guy says something about having to drive the system manually and Jongdae just ignores him, doing everything himself.

 

Suddenly the submersible jerks again, and Kyungsoo watches as it backs up farther and farther until the ground is nowhere in sight. Jongdae turns off the flood lights, keying in more codes afterwards. He mutters to Yixing, the other man helping him on another computer system. Suddenly the entire submersible goes dark, only a few red lights remaining on.

 

“We’re completely dark now,” Jongdae says, voice strained. “Nothing should see us.”

 

“Yeah, and we can’t see anything either,” Krystal says pointily, staring out into the complete darkness. 

 

Junmyeon looks at Baekhyun wildly. “What the was that thing?”

 

Everyone turns to the zoologist, waiting for an answer. Baekhyun flusters.

 

“How am I supposed to know?! My three degrees didn’t prepare me for this!”

 

“Shut up. Keep screaming like that and that thing might just hear you.” Jongdae glares at him, before turning to Kyungsoo. “And you . Would you care to elaborate what the is even going on here?” 

 

“Well,” Kyungsoo breathes in deeply, unsure of where to start. He has an idea. A disturbingly alarming one as he tries to flip through his journal. “According to one account, Atlantians were given a gift by the go-” 

 

His sentence gets cut off by the submersible violently shaking. It’s hard and sudden, followed by another blood-curdling screech resounding through the telecom. He hears many of the crew members exclaiming in surprise, seeing some of them losing their balance at the sudden push. 

 

“I think it can still see us,” Yixing mumbles somewhere among the chaos and Kyungsoo feels his breath hitching when those glowing symbols come into view again. 

 

“Yeah, no Sherlock,” Jongdae turns to look at everybody with a deep scowl on his face. “This is code red! Follow protocol and escape to the pods!”

 

The chaos that ensues on the observation deck is unbelievable as people scramble to escape as fast as possible. Yixing slams his hand on the large, red button in the middle of the dashboard and the emergency lights come to life, illuminating the escape routes.

 

“In an orderly fashion, please ,” he hears a loud, female voice say.

 

He begins to tremble as he slowly assesses the situation. They had just encountered the first sign, the first proof of Atlantis’ existence, yet not even minutes later they are trying to run away from it because it’s trying to kill them .
 

“What are you waiting for?!” Jongdae appears before him and Baekhyun, reaching to grab for their elbows. He yanks them forward. “Without you two we’re all ed, so move it.” 

 

Junmyeon and Yixing are right behind them as Jongdae leads them out. There’s another sudden jerk to the submersible, and Kyungsoo cries out as he falls and lands harshly on his ankle. Someone helps him up, and when he looks up he sees it’s a member of the security team. He had met her briefly before the expedition began.

 

Seulgi gives him and the others a serious look. “Everyone is going for the closest pods. Come with us, we’ll bring you to the ones farther in the back. We’ll all be able to fit in them.”

 

Kyungsoo sees another member of the security team helping Baekhyun up. Joohyun, if he remembers correctly.

 

Jongdae nods, yelling over the blaring alarm. “Just hurry! We don’t have much time! We can’t assess the damage but it isn’t looking good.”

 

Seulgi nods, helping support Kyungsoo over her shoulder when she notices him limping. 

 

It’s all a complete blur as they desperately run to the emergency pods. They go through hallway after hallway, and Kyungsoo is so happy to have someone that knows the inner workings of the submersible because he would have been lost ages ago. There’s hardly anyone in this area now, so he can think a little more clearly. He is holding on to his book for dear life.

 

“Are we close?” he asks and Seulgi nods. 

 

“Down this hall, and to the right we should-”

 

Seulgi cuts herself off when she suddenly steps and the sound of sloshing water fills the hall. Everyone looks down, seeing sea water start to wet their shoes.

 

“Oh ,” Yixing says. “This is bad. This is really really bad.”

 

“Alright, hurry it up,” Jongdae says, grabbing Kyungsoo from Seulgi now, practically dragging him down the hall with how fast he’s running. Kyungsoo looks back, making sure everyone else is close behind. With every step they take, the level of the freezing water is rising. Baekhyun looks so pale now. He doesn’t even need to throw scientific facts at them for everybody to know the situation is really critical. The entire wing of the submersible would be filled with water in minutes . 

 

They make it to the room with the pods soon after that, Jongdae helping lower Kyungsoo in as gently as he can and everyone else cramming in directly after.  The water level is rising now, but the moment Jongdae seals the pod, Kyungsoo can breathe a sigh of relief.

 

“Everyone strap in,” Joohyun orders as Yixing and Jongdae immediately settle in the pilot seats. 

 

Kyungsoo’s hands are so shaky he can hardly buckle the safety straps. Junmyeon leans over to help him, softly telling Kyungsoo to breathe. It’s then that he realizes that he’s hyperventilating, but he doesn’t seem to be alone. Baekhyun sits across from them, holding his head and trying to calm himself as well

 

“Releasing the pod in three seconds. Clear to engage?”

 

“You’re clear.”

 

“Dropping the charging mechanisms. Preparing to launch.”

 

Jongdae and Yixing’s voices are loud, and distracting enough for Kyungsoo to focus on. He holds his book close to his chest as the pod is released from the submersible, causing them to fall through a chamber and shoot out into the open water. 

 

Kyungsoo watches in horror as they pull away from their submersible, seeing the thing tearing away at it with its powerful jaws. He can see the entire length of it now, glowing bright from the symbols and the cracks Kyungsoo had noticed before. The is like that of a serpent, wrapping around the entire submersible and squeezing it in a vice grip.

 

Kyungsoo sees its glowing blue eyes, and feels fear strike him to his very core.

 

“Pod 3142, can you hear us?”

 

Another staticy voice comes through on the radio. Yixing picks up the transmitter, speaking into it. “We hear you loud and clear.”

 

“The others have gone ahead, but our pod’s navigational system was damaged and we can’t put it on autopilot. We’re going to have to follow you.” The other pod comes into view now and Kyungsoo is relieved to see others made it out just fine as well.

 

“Roger that,” Yixing says. “We need you to tune your systems to our frequency so they can sync.”

 

“Yes, sir.” The voice goes silent for a moment and they all wait for their confirmation. Suddenly, though, someone in the other pod switches on their bright flood lights, and Kyungsoo’s stomach drops.

 

“You have got to be kidding me,” Jongdae hisses the moment the massive head of the creature turns in their direction. Something in those blue eyes narrows and Kyungsoo suddenly feels like he’s looking death straight in the eye. That thing is gazing straight at them now, and judging by the way its body shifts and moves, it is ready to lunge towards them. 

 

“Mayday! Mayday!”  the static screech of the people from the other pod comes through a little distorted. “It saw us!” 

 

“TURN OFF YOUR ING LIGHTS!” Jongdae screams into the radio while simultaneously hitting various buttons and pulling switches on the dashboard of the pod. Suddenly they turn sharply, facing toward the ocean floor. “Follow us. We’re going to have to find somewhere down in the kicked up sediment to hide.” 

 

The engines roar and they’re propelled forward. Kyungsoo can only hope that the other pod keeps up properly. They get radio confirmation a few moments later that they’re by their side. They hear a screech again, and suddenly the other pod is bumping straight into theirs. Jongdae curses, and Baekhyun laughs hysterically, holding onto the safety straps around him for dear life. He looks like he is on the verge of crying. 

 

“It’s just like bumper cars,” he says, voice cracking. “ Just like bumper cars .”

 

Kyungsoo would have probably yelled at him to shut up if it wasn’t for the radio suddenly coming to life again.

 

“It’s targeting us! Our pod won’t survive another hit!”

 

Yixing gasps, pointing to the small radar in front of him. “Jongdae, there’s a rift in the ocean floor here. It seems deep enough for us to hide in.”

 

Jongdae nods, picking up the receiver. “On my call, turn sharply to the left. Follow us tightly and don’t let up. Three.. Two… one… now !”

 

They break left, diving down so quickly Kyungsoo feels his stomach doing flips. The beast chasing them gives another screech, as if angry they are still trying to escape. Kyungsoo can hear his heartbeat in his ears, knuckles turning white as he grips his book. He feels so disoriented- he does not even know what’s happening. He does not know where they’re heading. All he feels is overwhelming fear, and all he sees is darkness. 

 

He does not even see the rift, he just feels his stomach dropping as they dive even deeper into the ocean’s waters. 

 

“We’re in,” Yixing announces and Kyungsoo’s eyes shoot up to watch the other man picking up the transmitter.. “Pod 3187... report.” 

 

“We are safe behind you.” 

 

“Good,” Jongdae sighs out in relief. “Descend another ten meters and await further instructions.” 

 

“I’ll try to locate and contact the other pods,” Yixing announces as he pulls a headset over his ears. 

 

Kyungsoo warily looks out from the front of the pod into the darkness. He can hear regular beeps coming from the radar, and the screeches of the creature lurking a little farther away. Except, this time the monstrous noises aren’t coming from behind them. They’re coming from above them. 

 

“Jesus,”  Jongdae throws his head back with an exasperated sigh. “Okay. ...okay. The rift is too narrow. I don’t think that it can follow us down here even if it tried. I think we’re safe for now.” 

 

Yixing’s voice is quiet and monotone from beside him as he tries contacting the other pods. Meanwhile Kyungsoo’s heartbeat is still drumming in his ears as he forces himself to breathe. 

 

“Is everybody alright?” Junmyeon asks then, voice full of worry. Only then does it occur to Kyungsoo that he fell in the submersible earlier. He thinks to the many others that had been possibly affected by the attacks too, counting himself lucky that all he came out with is a sprained ankle. He blinks quickly as he quickly looks down to inspect his body, and his nod is stiff when Junmyeon gives him a long look. 

 

“Pod 3142,” the static-y voice resounds around the pod. “We have some minor damage on the left propellers and a crack in the outer window. I’m afraid it won’t hold much longer.”

 

“The inner seal is unharmed?” 

 

“That is correct, sir.” 

 

“It should be fine, then,” Jongdae nods mostly to himself. “Stay tuned on this frequency and wait for further instructions.” 

 

When Yixing removes the headset and leans over the radars, Baekhyun dares to breathe again. He leans forward and looks out the windows curiously. 

 

“It’s moving away from here,” Yixing announces quietly, with a hopeful undertone to his voice. “I think it lost us.” 

 

“Are you sure?” Junmyeon asks. 

 

“It’s retreating,” Jongdae confirms as he looks at the radar. “I think we’re safe to use some lights now.” 

 

Kyungsoo and Baekhyun share a look- both too scared to voice out their opinion that they’d rather rot in darkness than be chased by a giant water snake again. However, it’s not like they have much of a choice. 

 

When the lights are , it’s kind of hard to tell at first exactly where they are and what they’re surrounded by. It’s all so dark, even darker than before, and Kyungsoo realizes after a few solid seconds that they are, in fact, inside the rift and are surrounded by rocks from all sides. It’s like they had entered a faucet. No wonder that creature could not find or follow them down here. 

 

Kyungsoo holds his breath as he listens to the sound coming from the telecom. It’s becoming fainter, that awful screech, as the creature moves away. 

 

“Okay, increase brightness and give it a spin. Let’s try to see our surroundings,” Jongdae instructs from the front of the pod and Kyugnsoo snaps out of his daze, moving his eyes instead to the little monitors above the dashboard and the front window.

 

He focuses on the rocks instead. Black, old , like the ones Baekhyun had been giving lectures about before they were attacked. Except, they’re looking more like an underwater cliff. Like an endless pit as the lights of the pod are directed downwards and hit nothing. Just eternal depth and darkness. 

 

Kyungsoo’s brow furrows as he looks away from those deep waters. He throws his head back and closes his eyes. His heart is still beating fast in his chest. 

 

“What is that?” Joohyun’s voice cuts through the silence and Kyungsoo is suddenly sitting at the edge of his seat again, looking out through the windows.

 

“It’s just a cenote,” Baekhyun says quietly, all spirit gone from his voice. “An underwater cave. It’s pretty common.” 

 

“Yeah, well, let’s stay away from that cause I don’t want to be attacked by an angry lobster again.” Yixing mutters, turning the pod to the other side. 

 

The rocks seem even darker on the other side but Kyungsoo is pretty sure that’s just his mind playing tricks on him at this point. It has been so long since he’d seen actual sunlight, at this point even the dark depths of the ocean seem familiar. 

 

Except, when the lights from their pod hit those walls he notices cracks on them. That would not be unusual in itself, according to Baekhyun’s lectures. However, what catches his attention is the fact that all those cracks seem to be dunning down deeper, coming together. 

 

“Can we descend some more?” 

 

Jongdae throws a look over his shoulder, before shrugging lightly. The pod moves and the lights follow the cracks. Kyungsoo takes in a deep breath and his hands move down to undo his seatbelt. 

 

“Hey,” he hears Seulgi softly protest, but he doesn’t stop to listen. There is another cave there, where all cracks come together. There is, however, something extremely peculiar about its shape, and for some reason it nags Kyungsoo endlessly.

 

“Down there,” He says, standing between Jongdae and Yixing’s seats at the front. He points to the opening. “That looks familiar.”

 

“What do you mean ‘ that looks familiar ’? We’ve never been down here before and-” Jongdae blinks at Kyungsoo’s serious look, apparently understanding where Kyungsoo’s mind is going.

 

“No,” he says. “Absolutely not. No . I am not ready to face another huge eel again, okay?”

 

“It was a leviathan.”

 

“A what ?” Baekhyun asks incredulously from behind him.

 

“A leviathan,” Kyungsoo says, gesturing to his journal in his hand. “It’s all in here somewhere. I remember reading about it-”

 

“Well does your journal say how we get back to the surface without a ship to protect us from that thing attacking us again?!” Baekhyun screams, clearly still hysterical. “You’re a Linguist. You speak Atlantean. Talk to it .”

 

“I can’t get us back to the surface, but the information I have on it means-”

 

“Information isn’t going to get us home!” Baekhyun says, harshly rubbing his face over and over. Kyungsoo gives him a sympathetic look for a moment.
 

“No,” he says softly, looking around at the others. “But it means we’re really close.”

 

There’s a small hush that takes over the rest of the pod as everyone just stares at him, waiting for him to elaborate. Kyungsoo his lips.

 

“It’s documented in various cultures that when the gods created Atlantis, Poseidon became very fond of it. He wanted to keep the city and the people safe, so he gave them various gifts. One of  them was a leviathan meant to be the gatekeeper of their city and protect them from threats.”

 

Kyungsoo watches as everyone looks at him with shocked expressions, especially Baekhyun whose mouth is hanging open unattractively. Kyungsoo gives him a smug look now.

 

“Bet your animal degree didn’t teach you that.”

 

Baekhyun immediately frowns. 

 

“It was a Zoology degree, you .”

 

Kyungsoo smiles a little, but then regards Jongdae again. The other man is looking at him hesitantly, gaze flickering back to the cave. 

 

“What’s so special about that cave, then?” he says, clearly considering it now.

 

Kyungsoo points at the cracks above it, everyone craning their heads to look. “It’s said that Atlantis was Poseidon’s treasure. Each of the gods had their own lands that they perfected to their liking. So, all of the stories I’ve come across depict the same symbol at the gates.”

 

“A trident,” Yixing says, in awe.

 

Everyone gawks at the sight of the large cracks above the cave linking together towards the top. The lines aren’t perfect, far from it in fact, but it’s undeniable that there in front of them is a trident. The cave’s opening rests at the very bottom, as if the trident is resting on top of it.

 

Jongdae suddenly sighs, rubbing his face harshly. 

 

“I swear to God if there is another freakish monster in here, my death is on you, Do Kyungsoo.”

 

“Uhm,” Baekhyun starts, clearly offended. Kyungsoo thinks for a moment that the other man is about to object, but Baekhyun always manages to surprise him. “If you don’t bring us in there right now and stop worrying about yourself , the rest of us would really like to see Atlantis.”

 

“We don’t know if Atlantis is in there-”

 

“But it’s worth a shot, right?” Baekhyun fires back. He looks at everyone else, clearly not understanding why they all still look hesitant. Kyungsoo feels his heart swell at the fact the other agrees with him. “Look. We’re here. Besides that killer eel, this is the most physical evidence we found! It’s not like we can go anywhere else, right? I mean for ’s sake .”

 

Kyungsoo throws a look around the pod. When his eyes catch Junmyeon’s, the doctor shrugs. 

 

“He does have a point.”

 

Jongdae and him have a short staredown, and Jongdae ultimately gives up with a sharp exhale. 

 

“ Fine ,” he says and picks up the transmitter again. Before he contacts the other pod, he gives Kyungsoo one last look. “Can all passengers sit down and buckle the up?”

 

“My God,” Yixing muses under his breath as he starts hitting buttons on the dashboard, preparing the pod for a further descend. “Stop being such a dad.”

 

Kyungsoo’s heart beats wildly in his chest when he’s seated again and feels the pod moving. This time, however, it isn’t because he is terrified.

 

It is because excitement is pumping through his veins, mixed with anxiety and impatience. 

 

Because what if he is right? What if this really is the way to Atlantis? 

 

He bites on his lip as he stares through the front windows of the pod, fingers digging tightly into the leather-bound journal containing his entire research. 

 

It has to be. 

 

He thinks he hears Yixing tell the other pod their plan more in depth as Jongdae navigates, but all he can focus on is the sight in front of him. His eyes are glued to the glass, especially when they enter the cave only to find that it goes deeper .

 

“What the ?” Jongdae’s voice sounds so confused as he stares at the sonar screen between him and Yixing.

 

“What?” Joohyun asks, clearly concerned.

 

“The shape of it… it’s just really strange.”

 

“Are we able to keep going?”

 

“Yeah, but we have to go down just to come back up again.”

 

Kyungsoo’s brows furrow, mind going a thousand miles per minute. He opens his journal, flipping through the pages wildly as Jongdae and the other pod slowly navigate through the narrow tunnel-like structure. He mumbles to himself, seeing Junmyeon out of the corner of his eye peek over his shoulder. Suddenly, he flips to the page he was looking for- a drawing he had made years ago based on a single account he had read about during his study abroad in London. 

 

He had not given it much thought at the time, but tried to recreate what it may have looked like just in case he ever found matching statements later. He looks at the elementary-like drawing, thinking even back then that it resembled a sink faucet with the way the entrance curved downwards, then upwards, only to lead to what the account had described as “the fallen land”. 

 

“Just keep going,” Kyungsoo mumbles out quietly. 

 

The pod is moving slowly and cautiously. The lights keep turning and revealing more and more of the rocks surrounding them. 

 

“ Holy , ” Baekhyun suddenly exclaims, making everyone jump.

 

“What?!” Kyungsoo scrambles to try to see what could have possibly excited the other man, brows furrowing when he only sees the same old rocks in front of them.

 

“That quartz vein is sick as - Ow! Why are you kicking me?!” Baekhyun glares at Junmyeon. 

 

“Can you, for one ing moment, stop talking about rocks . You’re not even a geologist!”

 

“I don’t have to be a geologist to know that’s rare as hell. Usually, veins are flat and form within the rock, but these are forming actual crystals?” Baekhyun tilts his head, staring intensely at the crystals. 

 

Yixing squints. “How do you know that’s quartz?”

 

Baekhyun blinks at that, scratching the back of his neck. “I mean… what else would it be?”

 

Kyungsoo gives Baekhyun a quick look before focusing back on the glass in front of him. The lights show the bottom of the tunnel suddenly, and Jongdae curses as he slowly slows the pod down, before changing the course. Kyungsoo feels his stomach turning, very much the same sensation he gets in elevators sometimes, when they start moving upwards. 

 

It’s silent as they move, Yixing softly speaking to the pod trailing behind them every once and a while. Everyone watches with bated breath, Kyungsoo continuously glancing at his drawing over and over again. His mind starts to play tricks on him the longer he stares into the black void in front of him, making it seem as if it is becoming lighter around them.

 

Jongdae pauses. “Pod 3187. Cut your lights.”

 

“Yes, sir.”

 

“Jongdae?” Seulgi questions.

 

They do behind them, Jongdae flicking a switch and doing the same. Kyungsoo’s eyes widen at the fact there really is some sort of light coming from above them. He releases a shaky breath, heart pounding in his ears. 

 

Could it be?

 

Jongdae pushes on, the water around them steadily becoming lighter and lighter. 

 

“Are we at the surface?” Junmyeon asks confusedly. 

 

Jongdae glances at the sonar, sounding a little breathless. “Well… if you consider six kilometers underwater then sure .”

 

Kyungsoo wants to stand up and take a closer look but he reminds himself to be patient. The pod is moving fast and he doesn’t want to get in the way.

 

Besides, the more they move, the brighter the waters become and the lighter the rocks turn, a tinge of blue surrounding them. It’s almost eerie. 

 

Kyungsoo blinks in surprise as he notices the rocks around them - not only are they lighter, they’re also glowing. Those quartz veins with crystals that had caught Baekhyun’s attention earlier? They’re emitting a soft blue-ish light, a soft hue that lights the waters around them gently. 

 

“What is that?” Seulgi muses quietly and Baekhyun just shakes his head. 

 

“This is exquisite,” he breathes. “I have never seen phosphorescence like this.” 

 

“Phosphorescence?”  Jongdae echoes. 

 

“Yeah, it occurs in nature too, sometimes,”  Baekhyun is almost stumbling over the words the higher up they get and the thinner the water around them becomes. “When the materials absorb radiation or natural light, they re-emit it, but it is much slower than the process of fluorescence. Those crystals...I’ll need to take samples. It might be some type of mineral.” 

 

“Weren’t you just saying an hour ago the rocks at the bottom of the ocean must be millions of years old?!” Junmyeon questions with a deep crease between his eyebrows. “Are you trying to tell me those rocks have been shining for millions of years too?” 

 

“Well, no ,”  Baekhyun says, but he doesn’t sound entirely convinced either. “Sometimes the re-emission is much slower. The phosphorescence can be a product of forbidden energy levels of emission of atomic nuclei, that’s quantum mechanics. No level of radiation could possibly reach so deep in the ocean. That’s why it’s fascinating.” 

 

“An ecologist, zoologist, botanist and a physicist. Hard to imagine why you’re single,” Jongdae says from the front of the pod. “The pressure is decreasing rapidly. We are at some surface.” 

 

Kyungsoo holds his breath as the pod moves even faster. Everything becomes a blur when they break through the water, everything is a little confusing at first. 

 

It takes him a few moments to realize that they’re no longer in the water, but floating on the water. That the soft blue hues of the lights are eerily filling the cave that they’re in, the same veins of quartz running up some of the rocks and even down the stalactites hanging from the tall ceiling of the cave. There are dips and corridors, disappearing into complete darkness. 

 

The pod sways violently when the other pod resurfaces too. That’s when Kyungsoo breaks out of his haze to the soft sound of Jongdae’s strict instructions. 

 

“Check the oxygen levels of the surroundings. Is it safe for us to get out of the pod?”  

 

Yixing moves immediately, pressing numbers and typing codes on the command prompt of the pod. 

 

“20.8% oxygen in the air according to the sensors. It’s a normal atmosphere.” 

 

“Good,” Jongdae turns around to look at the rest of them. “I need to go out and inspect the pods for damage. You all can stay here or you can-” 

 

“No way I’m staying in here,”  Baekhyun scoffs, already undoing his seatbelt. Kyungsoo blinks, before he reaches down to fumble with his, struggling with the lock. Baekhyun’s hand lands on his shoulder. “I need Squeaky and that big book of his to help us figure out where to go now.” 

 

Kyungsoo is about to reply indignantly, but Jongdae just rolls his eyes and points towards the exit of the pod. He takes the hint and stands up. 

 

His feet are a little sore and he’s a little dizzy, but Joohyun’s arm is surprisingly strong for someone that tiny. She helps them get out of the pod one after another. 

 

The rocks feel soft beneath his feet as he takes the first hesitant step inside the cave. 

 

“ Fascinating ,” Baekhyun whispers, but his voice is carried on throughout the cave with an echo. Kyungsoo turns to look at him to only find that he is standing right there, in the middle of the cave, breathing in deeply and suddenly. His chest inflates, and then deflates when he exhales loudly. He repeats that same thing twice, and Kyungsoo’s eyebrows progressively knit tighter together in confusion. 

 

“What are you doing?” 

 

“There are no plants here,” Baekhyun replies before breathing in deeply again. When he breathes out, it’s mixed with an incredulous and maybe even dumbfounded chuckle. “How is there so much oxygen in here?”

 

Baekhyun keeps taking deep breaths, gaining attention from Junmyeon to slaps his arm. 

 

“Will you stop ?” Junmyeon looks so annoyed, frowning at the other. “You’re going to force yourself to hyperventilate.”

 

Baekhyun ignores him, but promptly chokes on his own breath a few moments later. Junmyeon just looks at him like he’s a complete idiot.

 

“I feel like I was really sent here to be a glorified babysitter.” Kyungsoo cringes when Junmyeon slaps Baekhyun’s back harshly, assuming he’s trying to get him to stop coughing. Everyone else seems to ignore them as they stretch and look at the cave with wonder. “I’m a doctor of infectious disease, not your mother.”

 

Kyungsoo turns away from them with a sigh and slowly walks towards the rocks at the end of the cave instead, unable to keep from limping. He can still hear the banter behind himself echoing off the humid walls of the caves. The others talk amongst themselves too, not seeming to notice the linguist breaking away from them.

 

He reaches out hesitantly to touch the black rock, fingers hesitant to touch the slightly glowing veins and the various crystals that jut out. It’s a truly magnificent sight. It’s like the gentle blue light is seeping out from within the stone. It looks magical. 

 

It reflects on his skin, and the longer he stares at it, the more it reminds him of something.

 

Cunning, glowing eyes and sharp teeth enter his memory. When he breathes out, it is shattered and tired, and he doesn’t even realize how much tension he had been holding in his shoulders until they slump down. 

 

He cannot believe what they had gone through in the past hour. He is still trying to process it, but he cannot. 

 

He is still mildly petrified just thinking about that attack and all the pods scattering, about that monster chasing them. Almost killing them. 

 

He knows they’re lucky. 

 

He supposes that perhaps others hadn’t been. But that’s all he can seem to focus on.

 

He runs his fingers along the smooth crystals, breathing becoming a bit shallow as he thinks back to what Baekhyun had said.

 

“Kyungsoo… How many years do you think that sediment accumulated for?” 

 

It’s impossible.

 

“Because to me… it looks like ten years, tops.”

 

But it’s the only thing that makes sense.

 

Kyungsoo’s lower lip quivers at the thought, chest aching as a wound he thought had long healed is suddenly ripped open. Suddenly his throat feels as if it’s filled with cotton, and his eyes sting with tears.

 

The lights reflect in the water, throwing dancing shadows on the dark rocks, and Kyungsoo steps further away from the rest of the crew for more privacy. His hand is shaky as he pulls out his book, trying to hold in his sniffles until he knows he is far enough away.

 

The picture he keeps safely tucked in the inside of the leather is old and winded. The edges are worn and stained, and the colors within it are fading. It was the first thing Kyungsoo had ever put in his journal, and has always served as a source of motivation and inspiration. As a reminder. 

 

But now, as he looks at his brother’s cheeky grin as he carries a much younger Kyungsoo on his shoulders, he feels none of that. He only feels that same sorrow he had felt the day he had found out about his death. That same, hollow feeling that settled in his heart and festered there for months.

 

His brother had been his hero. They were close, despite their , and losing him when Kyungsoo was still only in high school was the hardest moment of his life.

 

He feels like he’s fifteen again, alone and afraid. 

 

His heart hurts when he picks up the photograph and stares down at it. His hands are shaking, and his smile is bitter as a few tears fall. 

 

“ Hyung ,” he whispers quietly, raising the photograph to his chest and pressing it there firmly with his palm. “You made it so far.”

 

Another heavy tear rolls down his cheek and Kyungsoo closes his eyes, shutting them tightly. 

 

He had always thought he’d feel better if he knew how exactly his brother died. That it would give him some peace of mind. That it would close that heavy chapter of his life. 

 

Now, however, he knows how it happened. He knows what did it. 

 

And he realizes, he’d been wrong all along. Knowing doesn’t change a thing. In fact, it makes him hurt even more. His heart has never been in so much pain. 

 

So far . 

 

He breathes in deeply, trying to get himself together as he looks down at his journal. He opens it to safely tuck in the picture in the leather again, fingers gliding over the faded colors of his brother’s smile. 

 

“I’ll find it,” he whispers, mostly to himself. “I promise.”

 

He bites on his lower lip, eyes lingering on the photo for a few more moments, tears leaving sticky trails of regret on his face. 

 

The lights shift over his hands, the shadows abruptly dancing, and Kyungsoo blinks away from his journal. He looks up towards the high ceilings and various passages leading out of the cave, the shadows there even darker. There is rubble falling down the side of the black rocks and he squints his eyes when those dark shadows shift again, this time a bit unnaturally.

 

Kyungsoo tenses, eyes straining in the darkness casted by some of the larger rocks. He stays there, unmoving for a few moments.

 

His vision is blurred with tears, and his mind is not in the right place. He is still petrified with fear. He looks down to his book with a defeated sigh. His mind is playing tricks on him at this point. He’s been living in the darkness of the ocean for two months. He’s bound to start feeling the effects soon. It feels almost odd to be standing on solid ground. 

 

“Alright, everybody, gather around!” Jongdae’s voice is loud, cutting through the silence and startling him. “We need to figure out how we’ll proceed from now on!”

 

Kyungsoo straightens up then, raising an arm to quickly wipe away the traitorous evidence of his tears from his face with his sleeve. He sniffs and breathes in deeply, trying to compose himself when Jongdae’s loud urges resound through the caves again. 

 

His fingers tighten around his journal, keeping it close to his chest, as he throws one last look towards the dancing shadows in the depths of the cave. He stares for a few moments, as if expecting something but he sighs after a few moments.

 

He turns around, carefully making his way back to the others despite the unstable ground.

 

Kyungsoo’s eyes inspect the little crowd gathering around Jongdae, who’s standing on a rock so that everybody can see and hear him clearly. He has his hand behind his neck, rubbing at his nape as he tilts his head with a sigh. Baekhyun is the only one that seems to notice him walking up, and if he notices Kyungsoo’s bloodshot eyes, he doesn’t say anything. Instead, he just stands by him, pressing a gentle hand to his back as they both look to Jongdae.

 

“One of the pods suffered a lot of damage on one of the engines. It won’t be able to make the trip back to the surface if we don’t fix it. Luckily, it is not that critical and we do have the necessary instruments to work on that later on,” Jongdae announces, and Kyungsoo takes the time to look around the little crowd that’s gathered. Aside from the few people in their pod, there are two of those unpleasant archeologists he hadn’t really gotten along with, one more girl from the security team, as well as one of the engineers he had seen taking orders from Jongdae back on the submersible. “We have enough provisions to last us for about two weeks. We need to decide whether we will continue or not.” 

 

Jongdae looks around the crowd with a challenging look in his eyes and Kyungsoo sets his jaw. His fingers curl tighter into his journal. 

 

Their eyes meet and Kyungsoo doesn’t look away. Jongdae only smiles tiredly, like he had already resigned to his fate. 

 

“But we can discuss that in the morning,” he hops off the rock, standing by Yixing’s side as he nods vaguely. “We’ve all had a very long day. I think it’s a good idea to set up camp here for the night and talk it all out when we’re well rested.”

 

Everyone mumbles in agreeance, and Kyungsoo sighs. 

 

Jongdae is right. They all need their rest before they decide anything. And Kyungsoo knows that if they do press on, they’re going to need him now more than ever. 

 

He looks down at the journal in his hands, some of that lingering sorrow turning into something new.

 

Determination.

---

Sara: thank god sam was paying attention in her oceanography class

Sam: thank god google reminded me what i learned in oceanography class

AnywAY JONGIN IS COMING we're so excited for the next chapters and we hope you are too!! Please please let us know what you think about this one. Your comments always make us feel so happy when we read them and give us the motivation to keep going :3