Manuel stopped himself at the cavern entrance. The room was, indeed, filled with treasure. Dozens of wooden chests, ancient unrecognizable armours and weapons, and art objects in the shape of sea creatures he had never seen.

The most impressive object in the area wasn’t the treasure, though: it was an enormous sea anemone… a glowing one. The lit-up sea cavern must have been thirty feet high; this sea plant’s tentacle limbs—hundreds of them—brushed against the stone surface above. The basal disk was thick, easily twenty feet in diameter.

Antonio was near the basal disk inspecting a breastplate made of gold and coral.

Carlos was drifting near the swaying tentacles above them, enthralled by the immensity of the sea plant.

Louisa had her celestium spear harpoon at the ready. Her eagerness and curiosity quickly fading.

Manuel was still at the entrance when a low vibration spread out from the sea anemone. Manuel could feel it in his eardrums.

And then all was dark. Even their headlamps were extinguished.