Aquamendus Chronicles [1] Scorpio’s Secret: The Awakening of Aquamendus

ลำดับตอนที่ #1 : A Flickering Hope | An Ancient Invitation

Prologue - A Flickering Hope

[Xandros]

The once pristine realm of Hydralis lay before me, now shrouded in darkness and pollution. As the Guardian of Scorpio, I had watched over these deep, mysterious oceans for millennia, but I had never witnessed such devastation.

I stood on the edge of the Antarea, the heart of Hydralis, where bioluminescent creatures once danced in harmony, and underwater caves held secrets as old as time itself. But today, the glow had faded, and the caves echoed with the mournful cries of a dying world.

Hydralis was drowning, not in water, but in the filth and toxins of the human world. Our realm had always been connected to Earth, and we had always done our part to protect it. But the relentless pollution from the all-mortal realm had become a relentless torrent, overwhelming us.

I gazed at the once-crystalline waters, now tainted with oil slicks and debris. The coral reefs, vibrant and teeming with life, were now bleached and lifeless. The creatures that called Hydralis home were gasping for breath, their vibrant colors fading as they struggled to survive.

Being the immortal Guardian of Scorpio, I possessed the power to command water and darkness – a power full of complexity, feared by the other guardians and even myself. I had only used that power to keep our realm pure and thriving. But my efforts were no match for the overwhelming tide of pollution that now threatened to consume us all.

I felt my strength waning, my energy sapped by the relentless battle to protect my realm. I knew that I was the last of the guardians left in Hydralis. The others had fallen, their powers drained by the pollution, their spirits crushed by the weight of the devastation.

I looked down at the extendable scorpion tail that was now a part of me, both a curse and a blessing acquired during my transformation into an immortal guardian. A dark turquoise scorpion had merged with me during the ritual, giving me a unique power, but it also marked me as different from the others.

I had always been a quiet hermit, content to watch over my realm in solitude. But now, I was the last line of defense, the only hope for Hydralis. And I was failing.

I could feel myself slipping into a deep slumber, my body and spirit drained by the pollution that surrounded me. I knew that if I succumbed to this darkness, Hydralis would be lost forever.

But as I closed my eyes and prepared to surrender to the inevitable, a glimmer of hope flickered in the darkness. A presence, a presence I had never felt before, reached out to me.

It was a young man; his energy was vibrant and untarnished by the pollution that plagued our realm. He had turquoise eyes, like the Aquamendus Amulet that had been lost to us for some centuries.

In my vision, I extended my ethereal presence into the realm of humans, seeking the one destined to restore Hydralis. The threads of fate guided me to a young man named Alex Azklepioz, a rightful descendant of the legendary Asclepius, though not of our bloodline. His energy, as pure as the water of Hydralis in its youth, resonated with mine.

With my last surge of power, I reached out from the depths of Hydralis, my ancient knowledge intertwining with the pages of an ancient tome, known to him as the “Tome of Azklepioz” that lay dormant in the human realm. The Chapter of Scorpio, a well-guarded secret of Hydralis, began to glow with a soft, calming turquoise light, responding to the presence of the chosen one.

As my power drained away, I felt his hand on my fingertips, his warmth and vibrant energy seeping into my weary soul. And in that moment, I knew that hope was not lost.

My consciousness began to fade as I embraced the promise of a new beginning – a partnership forged in the darkest of times. My vision told me that our journey was just beginning, and that we would face unimaginable challenges. I knew that by combining our powers, we would bring light and hope back to Hydralis.

For I, Xandros Hydralithos, the last guardian of Hydralis, would reawaken and would not rest until our world was healed.

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Chapter 1 - An Ancient Invitation

[Alex]

The evening sun dipped below the horizon, painting the city in a warm, golden glow as I headed home from the gym. My muscles ached with the satisfying burn of a good workout, but that’s exactly how I liked it – disciplined and fit, just like my lifestyle. I was a nutritionist, a self-proclaimed cleanliness enthusiast, and, well, your eco-friendly neighborhood bookworm.

The air on my way home, well, let’s just say it was generously seasoned with pollution – a delightful blend of factory emissions (which probably came from other parts of the world) and the occasional whiff of discarded fast food. Tourists, I guessed.

As I strolled along, feeling like a modern-day eco-warrior on a quest to save the world, one stray piece of trash at a time. Picture it: me, snatching up discarded treasures like I’m hunting for pirate booty, giving each lucky find a one-way ticket to the nearest recycling bin. Did I sort? Oh, you bet I sorted. Plastic, paper, aluminum – they all got their VIP treatment.

Thankfully, one of my environmental blogs had successfully rallied the entire town to the cause, bless their eco-conscious souls. Thanks to our efforts, our little corner of the world has become something of an eco-friendly utopia – a haven of awareness amidst the chaos of pollution. And my house, a lovely abode I inherited from my late parents, stood as a sacred sanctuary of cleanliness and a resolute pollution-free zone, where even dust particles dared not tread. Oh, did I mention that my house had a mini wind turbine on its solar-paneled roof? It’s adorable.

Upon arriving home, I locked the front door and took off my shoes, arranging them nice and tidy on the shoe shelf nearby. I couldn’t wait to wash away the day’s sweat and grime. But first, I disinfected my gym bag and hung it against the wall. You never knew what lurked inside the community locker room.

I stripped off my wet, dirty gym clothes and jumped into my heavenly cold shower. When I say cold, I mean arctic-level cold. I turned the faucet with a precision that could embarrass a safe cracker, clanked it all the way to arctic temperatures without flinching, and embraced the ice-cold cascade that awaited me. I swear, I could hear my shivering ancestors applauding me from the afterlife.

Emerging from the shower, I wrapped myself in a plush, fluffy towel and took a glance in the mirror, checking my lean and healthy physique. And I must say, my handiwork was genuinely impressive.

I changed into my pajamas and ventured into the kitchen. A nutritionist’s job was never done, and I knew the importance of a post-workout meal. I opened the fridge. It should be filled with vibrant colors of fruits and vegetables, but not tonight. I had run out of strawberries and tomatoes – my favorites – for two days now and the grocery store nearby had no plans to restock them yet. Sad.

I guess my culinary masterpiece for tonight would consist of lean chicken breast, perfectly cooked quinoa, and a generous serving of steamed broccoli – a meal any nutritionist would be proud of.

But my nightly rituals weren’t finished yet. After all, a true disciple of health and cleanliness never skipped on oral hygiene. Toothbrush and toothpaste in hand, I gently scrubbed away the remnants of dinner, ensuring my pearly whites retained their luster.

At last, the moment arrived for my beloved bedtime reading ritual. My in-house library boasted floor-to-ceiling bookshelves filled with eco-friendly books spanning from nutrition guides to classical literature, all meticulously organized by color and alphabetical order, because, you know, even my books should follow a balanced diet.

But my choice for tonight’s journey lay elsewhere. An ancient tome, encased in a glass chest nestled amidst a display of ancient artifacts, beckoned to me as if it had a bedtime story itching to escape its ancient pages.

I carefully unlocked the glass chest, treating the ancient tome with the reverence it deserved. It had been passed down through generations of Azklepioz, and its pages were yellowed with age. The leather cover bore the scars of time, but its contents remained intact, preserving the history of my family.

The Tome of Azklepioz – a fancy name, indeed – was old and weathered, yet I kept it in pristine condition, free of dust. You know, a single speck of dust was a crime to literature and I, Alex Azklepioz, wouldn’t allow such an atrocity in my domain.

Now, you might be wondering why a book about family history was such a prized possession in my collection. Well, the Azklepioz lineage had a rather intriguing claim to fame. We were descendants of the legendary Asclepius, the healer of ancient times. Yes, the same Asclepius who wielded a staff with a single snake, not to be confused with Hermes’s Caduceus – seriously, people mixed those up way too often.

As I flipped through the pages of the ancient tome, my eyes fell upon a very thick section titled “The Chronicles of the Zodiac Guardians”. This was a familiar narrative; one I had read countless times before. The text transported me to the mystical realms of Celestia. Each guardian’s story was a captivating saga of bravery, sacrifice, and the eternal struggle to maintain harmony. The pages practically crackled with the energy of ancient battles and timeless wisdom. It was like diving headfirst into a legendary adventure, and I was absorbed in the rich narratives.

I was particularly engrossed in the section about Scorpio’s realm, Hydralis, with its deep, mysterious oceans and bioluminescent creatures. The descriptions were so vivid that I could almost feel the cool, gentle caress of the underwater currents. It was as if I were there, swimming alongside Scorpio himself.

However, just as I was immersing myself in the aquatic wonders of Hydralis, something extraordinary happened. I felt someone’s fingertips touching my hand, and the very page I was reading began to emit a soft, calming turquoise glow. My eyes widened in surprise, and I blinked, thinking it might be a trick of the light. But no, the glow persisted, casting a serene radiance over the words.

I watched in awe as the letters on the page started to rearrange themselves, forming a new set of words, distinct from the surrounding text. It was like witnessing a celestial crossword puzzle in action, and I muttered to myself, “Well, this is a whole new level of interactive literature.”

The newly revealed words held a profound message, one that seemed to be a hidden prophecy, and I leaned in closer to read it line by line:

“A Healer’s child under Scorpio’s care,
Bestowed upon a gift with none compare;
Bear the child an inevitable curse
Of immortality with no reverse.”

My heart quickened, and it was as if the book itself had chosen this moment to reveal a secret that would change the course of my life forever. I couldn’t deny the eerie feeling that these words were meant for me. I was born under the Sign of Scorpio, but this was no ordinary horoscope. It spoke of my lineage as a descendant of Asclepius and hinted at an immortality curse. I didn’t believe in the idea of immortality; after all, I was a man of science, not superstition.

My bedside clock beeped. Then, with a sigh, I closed the book and gently placed it back into the chest. Immortality or not, I had a good night’s sleep to catch, and my next day of healthy living awaited.

But as I drifted off to sleep, a persistent curiosity lingered, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that my life was about to take an unexpected turn—one that would lead me into a world beyond imagination, a world where the Zodiac Guardians and their realms were very real.