The manta-machine glided through the deep like a silent guardian, its broad wings shimmering with faint runes as it cruised toward the glowing sprawl of the Southern Military Outpost. The students inside remained quiet, their breaths still uneven from adrenaline and exhaustion.
Even those normally loud or disruptive sat motionless, taking slow deep breaths as they realized they were finally home free from the Abyssal Sea Monsters.
Albedo leaned against the metal-framed glass, watching the lights of the outpost grow larger and larger until they resembled a rising city beneath the ocean. The mana-lamps flickered like distant stars, and the reinforced fortress dome shimmered with layers of protective enchantments.
Behind him, Elara exhaled for perhaps the twentieth time, brushing trembling fingers through her hair, "I wonder how difficult it is to man those War Machines," she muttered
