Page 22 of Daemonium

"That's not what the song meant, April. If anything, it's a twisted warning," Carol interjected.

"You're quickly climbing the ranks to become one of my favorite people,” Ciaran teased.

"Just what I always wanted,” she replied dryly.

Mel chimed in, "We all aspire for that title."

"You're already in, Mel. No need to try so hard,” Maverick commented.

"I'm truly humbled," she deadpanned.

"You should be, it's quite an achievement," Charon joked, gradually making his way closer to Hayven.

"Enough of this," Roger grumbled as he swam to the side and reached for one of the formations jutting from the wall.

I knew before he touched it this was an incredibly bad idea. As soon as he made contact, there was a whirring noise and the formation slid in, becoming one with the wall.

"Oh great, here we go. You just had to touch something," Dion groaned.

I looked around as the other formations began moving in and out, and the song abruptly cut off, replaced by Kinks' upbeat voice.

"Swim with caution, for lurking below are teeth and jaws ready to show. Cross the water swiftly but don't delay or else you'll find your time has gone astray. For those who hesitate or miss their mark will soon join those swimming in the dark."

"Something is lurking below?" Dion asked, already moving to the side.

The song started playing again, louder and faster. "We need to climb," Brody stated loudly enough for everyone to hear, studying the walls on either side of us.

Out of nowhere, one of the girls—April--screamed, making me jump.

Lana cursed and quickly moved away from where she was standing, gliding in the water to the opposite wall. "There's something in the water!"

"Well, no shit, Sherlock!" April yelled back at her, causing all of us to pause.

"Be happy you're not closer," Ciaran called back to her calmly, though it was clear he would have taken her out himself if had been.

"She’s not far from me," Mel added, skimming her hands over the wall for a place to grab.

Ky guided me towards her. "You need to climb up. Try not to hold onto one ledge for too long or you’ll fall."

I nodded nervously as I realized just how high up, we needed to go.

April screamed again, and so did her friend. There was a commotion in the water and the other girl went down. Before she could fully go under, a long snout closed around the lower half of her face while another grabbed her shoulder, pulling in the opposite direction. The sound of bones crunching echoed through the air as their jaws proved to be incredibly powerful.

"Are those freaking alligators? And this is supposed to be easier, Ciaran?" Lana shouted at him.

“Stop being dramatic and get that ass climbing, puppet.”

She was already on the far wall when Ky grabbed me as if I were a weightless doll and hoisted me up.

“Go," he commanded.

I scrambled to find a good grip on the ledges, my heart racing as I tried my best to stay out of his way.

The ledges were slippery as if they’d been coated with something, making it difficult to find a secure hold. The air filled with hissing and snapping as the alligators began attacking anyone in their path. I risked a quick glance down and caught sight of April's friend being torn apart. Carol was climbing carefully far off to my left. Mel was on the other side of Ky, a few steps ahead of Dion and Brody. Her jaw clenched as she struggled to pull herself up. I reached for a ledge, only to have it vanish seconds before I could grab it with my hand, nearly sending me tumbling down the wall.

"Stay focused," Ky's calm voice instructed me.

I nodded and took a deep breath, reaching for another ledge and ascending higher.

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