Mini Brain Dumps

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Trigger Warning: This novel contains references to sexual assault and mental health disorders. Reader discretion is advised.

Chapter 29:

Quentin awoke with a start, his heart pounding. His mind reeled from the events of the previous day—the whispers of power, the revelation about the sirens, the possibility that he had unknowingly destroyed the Sovereign—

But something was different.

He felt… strange. Lighter, somehow. And the water around him hummed, pulsing against his skin like it was trying to communicate with him. He frowned and lifted his hands in front of his face. They seemed normal. The webbing between his fingers becoming a familiar sight for him. He flexed his fingers experimentally.

Nothing happened.

Okay. Good. No sudden bursts of uncontrollable magic. That was a relief. He let out a breath—

And promptly shot three feet, colliding with the ceiling of his room. The sharp edges of the coral digging into his back.

“What in the—?!” Quentin flailed wildly. It felt almost like it had the first time he had woken up in Seidonis all over again, unable to control his body movements, limbs pinwheeling as he hovered above his bed. Panic seized him as he tried to swim downward, but the water seemed to have other plans, keeping him suspended like a helpless jellyfish.

Cate’s voice drifted through the hall. “You okay in there, or did you finally evolve into a balloon?”

“I don’t know what’s happening!” Quentin yelped. “I can’t get down!”

Cate appeared in the doorway, her arms crossed. She took one look at him, floating mid-air like a decorative sea lantern, and snorted.

“This is not funny!”

“No, you’re right,” she said solemnly. “It’s hilarious.”

Quentin groaned as Cate swam forward, poking at him like he was some kind of science experiment. He wobbled backward. “Stop that!”

“What if I don’t want to?” she grinned. “What if this is just how you are now? Maybe you’ll just… keep floating forever.”

“Cate, help me get down!”

“Have you tried thinking heavy thoughts?” she suggested.

Quentin shot her a glare. “What?”

“You know, like—uh—rocks. Anchors. The crushing weight of responsibility.” Cate smirked. “That last one usually does it for me.”

Before Quentin could argue, Lyra swam into the room, “What’s going on? Why is Quentin—” She cut herself off, staring at the floating boy. Her lips twitched. “Is this… normal?”

“I hope so,” Cate said, grinning.

“Great,” Quentin muttered. “So I’m balloon boy now. That’s my gift.”

“Could be worse,” Lyra offered. “You could be shooting bubbles from your ears.”

“That would be an improvement,” Quentin muttered.

Just then, the water around them shimmered, and a small school of fish swam through the room. Quentin barely had time to register them before they darted directly into his face. He flailed, waving his arms as the tiny fish clumsily bumped into each other, then into him, then into the walls like they had absolutely no idea what they were doing.

Cate and Lyra exchanged a look.

“Did you just… summon fish?” Lyra asked.

“I don’t know!” Quentin swatted at the fish, but they just kept circling him in a mindless, wobbly dance. “They’re useless! What am I supposed to do with a swarm of fish?”

Cate nodded. “This is it. The ultimate power.”

“You’re enjoying this way too much.”

“Of course I am.”

Before Quentin could argue further, Elysia swam in, looking mildly exasperated. “What is happening in here?”

Cate gestured at Quentin, still floating helplessly among his aimless fish swarm. “I think he’s transcended to the next stage of aquamorph evolution.”

“I swear, I will haunt both of you,” Quentin growled, still flailing helplessly.

Elysia sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. “Oh, for the love of—Quentin, calm down.”

“I am calm!”

“No, you’re not,” she said flatly. “You’re spiraling. Your powers are feeding off your emotions. Relax, and the water will return to its normal state.”

Quentin frowned. “That’s it? I just… chill?”

“Yes. And stop panicking.”

Easier said than done. Still, Quentin took a deep breath and tried to push down the swirling thoughts in his mind. Slowly, he exhaled, releasing the tension from his body. The water seemed to sigh around him—

And just like that, he dropped like a stone, hitting the floor with an unceremonious thud.

Cate burst out laughing. “Oh, that was worth everything.”

“Shut up,” Quentin grumbled, rubbing his sore shoulder.

Lyra gave him a sympathetic pat on the back. “Welcome back to gravity.”

Quentin scowled, but before he could respond, Elysia spoke up. “Quentin.”

He turned to her, half-expecting another cryptic revelation about his powers. Instead, she smirked.

Quentin blinked. “What?”

Cate snickered.

The realization hit him like a tidal wave.

“Oh, you jerks!” Quentin groaned, slumping against the floor as Cate and Lyra burst into laughter. “So all of that—?”

Cate wiped a tear from her eye. “You really think that I wouldn’t use my air magic for evil?”

Lyra grinned.

Quentin crossed his arms, glaring at them both. “I hate you guys.”

Cate clapped him on the shoulder. “Aw, don’t be like that. You just made this the best April Fool’s Day ever.”

Elysia, still smirking, shook her head. “Alright, alright. Fun’s over.”

Quentin groaned. “Fine. But no more pranks.”

Cate grinned. “No promises.”

Your Thoughts Matter!

The following post is an April Fool’s Day joke and is not considered canon to Darkest Depths. It was written purely for fun, and I hope you enjoyed reading it! Please don’t worry—everything in the story will continue as planned in the next chapter. Thanks for being a good sport and sharing in the fun with me! 🎉

Was it pretty obvious, or did I have you fooled for a bit?