A cold game, the one fate plays.

Alone, Aurelius roamed the ocean floor—forever hunting, always searching for greater foes to conquer. Each heartbeat echoed with bitterness, a reminder of the day his clan was captured and slaughtered by humans. That memory never left him. It hardened his heart.

But revenge? It was a luxury. Unless they dared to trespass into his waters, there was little he could do.

Once, Aurelius had been the guardian of his people. The protector. On the day of the attack, he had been out hunting, believing he had time. He hadn’t known it would be the last time he’d see his home whole.

Now, only the freezing ocean remained—his constant companion. So what kept him going? Why not surrender to the cold and let the deep take him? Why fight, when there was nothing left to protect?

He believed he was the last of his kind.

Until that day.

After slaying a Giant Squid and feasting on its young, he spotted something strange: a cave glittering with crystals, its light dancing along the cavern walls. He furrowed his brow. He had seen nothing like it in all his wandering.

With his sharktooth blade in hand, he swam closer, instincts alert.

As he ventured deeper, a strange scent hit him, unfamiliar and intoxicating. It clouded his senses and stirred something long buried.

And then—he saw it. A massive clam, sealed tight. He approached, prepared to strike.

But before he could, it opened on its own.

Inside sat a mershark, unlike any he’d ever seen. Different species, yes—but unmistakably like him.

They locked eyes. No words spoken. None needed.

For the first time in what felt like centuries, something shifted in him.

Maybe fate wasn’t as cruel as he believed.