Chapter 1: The Greatest Mistake
The frozen sea stretched endlessly beneath a dying sky.
Shards of drifting ice collided with hollow echoes, spreading across the silent ocean like whispers of something ancient… something watching. The cold was merciless, biting through layers of clothing, creeping into flesh, into bone, as if the world itself rejected the presence of life.
At the center of this frozen nightmare stood a ship.
The Halbays Expedition.
Its wooden structure groaned under the pressure of the wind. Frost covered the ropes, the sails, even the railings. Every movement produced a faint cracking sound, as though the ship could shatter at any moment.
Captain Halbays stood at the front of the deck, unmoving.
His coat whipped violently behind him, but he didn't react. His gaze was fixed on the horizon, where the setting sun bled into the ocean, turning the sky into a deep, unsettling red.
"Drop the anchor…" he said quietly.
The crew didn't respond immediately.
They exchanged glances.
Something felt wrong.
"Did you hear me?" Halbays repeated, his voice sharper now.
"Drop the anchor. We stop here."
"Aye, Captain!"
The metallic chains rattled as the anchor was released. It plunged into the dark waters below with a heavy splash, disappearing into the unknown.
A deep, distant echo followed.
Then—
Silence.
Haris, the vice-captain, approached slowly. His boots crunched against the frozen deck as he stopped a few steps behind Halbays.
"Captain…" he said carefully, "this area isn't marked on our navigation charts."
Halbays didn't turn.
"I know."
Haris frowned.
"That's not what concerns me," he continued. "The men… they feel it too. Something isn't right."
A long pause followed.
The wind howled louder.
Halbays finally exhaled.
"Let them rest," he said. "Just a few minutes."
Haris hesitated… then nodded.
"Yes, Captain."
The crew tried to relax, but the tension didn't fade.
Some sat down, gripping their weapons. Others whispered among themselves, glancing nervously at the darkening sea.
One of the sailors muttered, "This place… it feels cursed."
Another replied, "Shut up. Don't start that."
But even he couldn't hide the fear in his voice.
Above them, the sky changed.
Too fast.
The red glow of the sunset vanished, swallowed by thick, black clouds that rolled in like a living wall. The temperature dropped even further, and the wind became heavier, colder… unnatural.
Haris looked up.
"That storm wasn't on the radar…"
Then—
A sound.
Low.
Deep.
Unnatural.
It came from below.
Haris froze.
"Captain… did you hear that?"
Halbays' eyes narrowed.
The sound came again.
Louder this time.
A rumble.
Like something massive… moving beneath the ocean.
The water trembled.
At first, it was subtle.
Then the waves began to rise.
Higher.
Stronger.
Violent.
"TO ARMS!" Halbays roared.
The crew reacted instantly.
Weapons were drawn. Panic spread across the deck. Some shouted orders, others screamed in confusion.
The ocean was no longer calm.
It was boiling.
Then—
The surface exploded.
A colossal shape erupted from the depths.
Water crashed in every direction as something massive rose into the air, casting a shadow over the entire ship.
Men froze.
Their minds refused to understand what they were seeing.
It was impossible.
The creature towered above them, its body covered in jagged, ice-like armor that reflected the faint light of the storm. Its massive jaws opened slowly, revealing rows of razor-sharp teeth.
Its eyes glowed.
Cold.
Ancient.
Terrifying.
Gonzalobrama.
A territorial monster of the frozen seas.
A creature that should not exist.
"Move! MOVE!" Haris shouted.
But it was already too late.
The monster struck.
With a single motion, its massive limb crashed into the ship.
Wood shattered instantly.
The deck split apart as if it were nothing more than glass. Men were thrown into the air, their screams swallowed by the roaring ocean.
One sailor tried to run—
He was crushed.
Another was dragged into the water—
Gone.
A third fired his weapon in desperation.
It had no effect.
Chaos consumed everything.
Halbays staggered but didn't fall.
His hands trembled.
Not from fear.
From realization.
"This… this is real…"
The monster moved again.
Faster than something that size should be able to.
Another strike.
More destruction.
More screams.
Five men disappeared in seconds.
Crushed.
Drowned.
Erased.
Haris tried to regroup the remaining crew.
"Stay together! We can—"
A wave smashed into him, throwing him across the deck.
He didn't get back up.
Halbays stood alone now.
Surrounded by destruction.
By death.
By something far beyond human understanding.
And yet—
He reached into his coat.
His hand pulled out a small, primitive camera.
His breathing was unstable.
His vision blurred.
But he raised it anyway.
Click.
A flash.
The image captured the monster.
Proof.
Evidence.
Gonzalobrama turned its head.
Its glowing eyes locked onto him.
For a brief moment—
Time stopped.
Halbays stared back.
Fear.
Rage.
Defiance.
"I will hunt you…" he whispered.
His voice grew louder.
Stronger.
"I will hunt you until my last breath!"
The monster roared.
The ocean rose.
And then—
Darkness.
The ship was dragged into the abyss.
Into the cold, endless depths of the frozen sea.
Captain Halbays.
His crew.
Their mission.
Their secrets.
All vanished.
Silence returned.
Centuries passed.
The story became a legend.
A myth told to frighten sailors.
A tale no one truly believed.
Until 2017.
A research team, aboard a state-of-the-art submarine, descended into the frozen depths.
Their mission:
Locate the wreck of the Halbays Expedition.
"Target confirmed," one of them said.
"There it is…"
The wreck lay buried in darkness.
Broken.
Forgotten.
"Unbelievable…" another whispered.
"Treasure readings are off the charts."
They moved closer.
Lights illuminated the remains.
Gold.
Artifacts.
History.
One of them reached out.
His hand touched a chest.
And then—
Something moved.
Far beyond the light.
Far beyond human sight.
An eye opened.
Massive.
Ancient.
Watching.
Gonzalobrama.
Awakened.
And this time—
It was hungry.
To be continued… 😈🔥