Leviathan: Rise of the Abyss

"Protection is not just a shield against harm; it's a promise to fight for what matters, no matter the cost." By Unknown

Chapter Seven

Sophia avoided Leviathan like he was the plague the next morning. She darted out of her room early, skipping breakfast entirely, and left Alice to deal with his teasing remarks about her messy hair. Her excuse was work, but the truth gnawed at her. The memory of their midnight conversation—his compliment, her blush—played on repeat in her mind. She hated how easily he got under her skin, how one look from him could make her feel both infuriated and flustered.

Leviathan, however, seemed unfazed. He lounged on the couch with his tablet, occasionally glancing toward the hallway where Sophia had disappeared. "Sophia's in such a rush this morning. Do you think she's avoiding me, Alice?"

Alice, sipping on a mug of coffee, smirked. "She's definitely avoiding you. But don't take it personally she's weird like that."

Leviathan tilted his head, a sly grin forming on his lips. "Weird, huh? I think she's just scared of how much she likes me."

Alice nearly spat out her coffee. "You're unbelievable."

"Am I wrong?" Leviathan asked, his grin widening.

Alice shrugged. "You might be. Or you might not. Either way, you're in for a long wait if you think she'll admit it anytime soon." Alice said as she took out her breads from the toast machine before returning to her room

Suddenly the whole living room all turned dark and immediately Leviathan wings swept out to a corner of the room but it didn't hit anything

"I see you improved from our last fight two days ago" Leviathan said with a smirk "But too bad I have recovered some of my powers" Leviathan added as flames appeared in the air and the hunter was soon caught in flames and before it could even scream it was ashes

The whole living room returned the normal and Leviathan felt something was off and he looked towards Alice's room "No sounds" Leviathan said and immediately went to the door and then knocked but got no reply, immediately he busted the door open breaking the door handle in the process

Immediately he entered he saw Alice lying on her bed improperly while still wearing her night dress, she had headsets on her head as she watched her movie while taking a bite out of her bread

The sound of breaking the door alerted Alice who turned to look at the door and immediately shot to a sitting position when she saw Leviathan at the door "What are you doing here Leviathan" Alice asked and Leviathan entered the room

"I wasn't hearing any sounds from the room so I thought that you were in danger somehow" Leviathan said and Alice was confused

"We are in the penthouse of one of the most expensive apartments building in Washington Leviathan, I can be playing speakers in here and you wouldn't hear anything outside" Alice said and Leviathan had an expression or realization as his mouth formed the ohhh symbol

"Thanks for worrying about me, but I'm fine so you can go out now" Alice said making a shoo sign with her hand "Okay then" Leviathan said as he placed the door handle in a table on the bed "I'll get someone to fix it later" Leviathan said and Alice nodded as she made the shoo sign with her hand again and Leviathan left

Alice placed the headsets on her head again and Leviathan entered again "What is it this time Leviathan" Alice asked feeling frustrated "Shouldn't you be heading to office today" Leviathan asked and Alice eyes widened in surprise. "I totally forgot" Alice said and she shot to her feets immediately as she attempted to take of her night dress and then she remembered Leviathan was still in the room

"Shouldn't you be leaving now or do you want to see me undress" Alice asked and Leviathan quickly shut the door feeling flustered

Leviathan's new phone suddenly rang and he to check who called him. It was an unknown number but he decided to pick it "Sir, you are needed down stairs" the person from the other side of the phone "Do you mean like right now" Leviathan asked confused "Yes sir, the client insisted on seeing you" the receptionist said

"Fine, I'll come" Leviathan said as he ended the call and took the elevator to the first floor

"I heard someone was looking for me" Leviathan said as the receptionist rushed up to him "Sir that man over there is the one looking for you, he calls himself Gerald Herald" the receptionist said and Leviathan laughed at the name and then he looked at who the receptionist was talking about

"Is something funny Mr Morgan" Gerald asked as he stood at a height just a little bit above Leviathan's waist "Yes and it's your name" Leviathan said still laughing and the dwarf Gerald frowned and the receptionist was stunned but she reacted quickly and helped smooth things over

"Sorry about that Mr Gerald, my boss has a wierd sense of humor" the receptionist said and Leviathan looked at her confused "I do?" Leviathan asked and the receptionist could only smile awkwardly. ***Must you make things hard for me boss*** the receptionist thought she then smiled at Leviathan

"Yes, you do boss" the receptionist said and Leviathan finally understood "Oh yes I have a wierd sense of humor, as a matter of fact I'm working on how to stop it" Leviathan said and Gerald nodded "I would take no offense then" Gerald said nodding

"Is there a place where we can talk in private Mr Morgan" Gerald asked while Leviathan kept looking at Gerald's height "Hello" Gerald said trying to get Leviathan's attention "Oh sorry about that" Leviathan said and then he turned to face the receptionist "Is there a place for us to speak privately" Leviathan asked the receptionist and the receptionist facepalmed

****I feel like I'll be doing all the work here**** the receptionist thought to herself before she lead them to a bar in the building "This is a private space" the receptionist said and Leviathan nodded "Not bad, thank you. You can return now" Leviathan said and the receptionist was surprised by his seriousness

The moment Gerald stepped into the bar, Leviathan subtly activated his psychic domain. The air shimmered briefly, though no one could see or feel the change but him. Sound outside their immediate space was cut off entirely—a perfect bubble of silence. Leviathan leaned back in his chair, his sharp gaze fixed on Gerald.

"I'd prefer our discussion stays private," Leviathan said, his tone sharp yet composed.

Gerald arched an eyebrow, then nodded in understanding. "A wise precaution."

Leviathan gestured toward the seat opposite him, and Gerald climbed into it, adjusting his posture to seem taller than his natural stature allowed.

"So, Gerald Herald," Leviathan said, suppressing a smirk. "You sought me out. I assume you've got a good reason for that."

The dwarf adjusted his vest and leaned forward. "A very good reason, Mr. Morgan. I'm a master craftsman—inscriptions, artifacts, protective relics, you name it. Lotan sent me."

At the mention of Lotan's name, Leviathan's expression darkened. "Lotan told you to come here? Why?"

"He believes you're in need of someone with my expertise. He said your current situation—both the building and its inhabitants—might require, let's say, an extra layer of protection."

Leviathan's eyes narrowed. "And why would Lotan think I need help?"

Gerald grinned. "Because even the mighty have enemies. And frankly, it seems Lotan thinks you've been... distracted lately."

Leviathan frowned, his mind briefly wandering to Sophia and the threat letter. He'd discovered it the previous night while letting his psychic powers skim her belongings. He hadn't intended to invade her privacy, but the letter had practically screamed danger at him. Its contents had been clear—someone wanted her gone.

"Distracted, huh?" Leviathan muttered, more to himself than to Gerald.

"I don't mean any offense, Mr. Morgan," Gerald said quickly. "But Lotan insisted I could be of assistance. My work speaks for itself."

Leviathan studied the dwarf for a moment, then gestured for him to continue.

Gerald reached into his satchel, pulling out a small, intricately carved amulet. "Take this, for example. A simple piece by my standards, but effective. The inscriptions on it are a hybrid of runic magic and modern quantum energy theories. It creates a protective barrier that wards off psychic intrusions and minor physical attacks."

He slid the amulet across the table. Leviathan picked it up, turning it over in his hands. The carvings glowed faintly, and he could feel the power thrumming beneath the surface.

"Impressive," Leviathan admitted, setting the amulet back down.

"That's just a sample," Gerald said, leaning back with a satisfied grin. "I can craft anything you need—defensive wards, offensive artifacts, you name it. And I can enhance existing items with inscriptions tailored to your specifications."

Leviathan nodded slowly, an idea forming in his mind. "You mentioned protective relics. Can you create something wearable—something discrete yet powerful?"

Gerald's eyes lit up. "Of course. What do you have in mind?"

Leviathan didn't answer immediately. Instead, his thoughts returned to Sophia. The threat letter had been unsettling, and though she didn't know he'd read it, he wasn't about to take any chances. He needed to ensure her safety, even if she wasn't aware of it.

"I need a necklace," Leviathan said finally. "One that shields its wearer from harm—psychic, physical, and supernatural. Something strong enough to counter whatever's out there."

Gerald rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "That's a tall order. I'll need specific materials, and it'll take time to inscribe the runes properly. But it's doable."

"How long?"

"Three days, assuming I can source everything quickly."

Leviathan shook his head. "Too long. You have until tomorrow."

The dwarf's jaw dropped. "Tomorrow? Are you serious?"

"Deadly serious," Leviathan said, his tone leaving no room for argument. "I'll provide whatever resources you need, but this has to be done immediately."

Gerald sighed but nodded. "Fine. I'll get started right away. But I'll need a workspace—somewhere private and secure."

"You can use the empty on the fifteenth floor to make a make shift crafting room" Leviathan said. "I'll have someone bring you the keys."

Gerald stood, his determination evident. "I won't let you down, Mr. Morgan. By tomorrow, you'll have the finest protective necklace I've ever crafted."

As the dwarf left, Leviathan deactivated the psychic domain and leaned back in his chair. His mind was already racing ahead to the next step. Protecting Sophia was priority number one, but he couldn't ignore the fact that someone had gone to great lengths to target her. He needed to figure out who—and why.

Leviathan stood, pulling out his phone to make a call. If Lotan had sent Gerald, then perhaps his brother knew more than he was letting on.

"Lotan," Leviathan said when the call connected. "We need to talk."

To be continued

Hold on tight for the next chapter

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