Jet slashed at the ground, once, twice, thrice. Ice blocks appeared at the bottom of the three inner doors, temporarily blocking off the flow of water. He licked his lips. “They won’t hold forever. I can keep casting it, but if they turn up the pressure…”

“There’s no response. The High God won’t reply to my prayer,” Elly said calmly.

“You’re not worried?” Gideon asked.

She shook her head, smiling. “I have faith in the High God. If we needed her guidance to pass this trial, she would offer it.”

Gideon clicked his tongue. “You’ve got too much faith.”

“Without faith, I have nothing,” Elly said, still smiling.

“That doesn’t horrify you?” Gideon asked.

“No. To lack faith would horrify me. Gideon,” she said gently, flicking her eyes up to meet his.

Gideon looked at her, then shrugged. “To each their own.”

“Are you two going to discuss theology while we drown, seriously?” Angel asked, eyeing the growing puddle. Even with Jet’s stoppers, some water still seeped into the chamber.

“We’re hardly drowning,” Gideon scoffed.

One of the ice blocks shattered. The stone block lifted a few centimeters, and water poured in. It filled the room and began to raise, sinking into everyone’s boots.

“We’ve still got a few minutes,” Gideon said, nodding to himself.

Another block shattered, then the final one. Water swirled around them, forming a small current.

“Okay, maybe we should start moving a little,” Gideon admitted.

A splash from near the wall caught Jet’s attention. He turned.

Leo stomped again, sending water flying. He pointed at the apertures and stomped.

“What? Is there something about those?” Jet asked, looking at Leo.

Kat released Elly’s skirts and ran over. She stood on her tiptoes and groped around inside, then pulled out a blue stone. “There’s something in them!”

“What?” Jet frowned and hurried over. He reached into the next hole in the wall and retrieved a green stone.

Beside him, Gideon pulled out a red stone, and Angel grabbed a yellow one. They all looked at one another.

“Colored stones…?” Jet asked.

“Maybe… they’re some kind of key out of here?” Gideon asked, looking at Leo.

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Leo nodded. He mimed raising his hand.

“Suspicious. How does a small-town orphan know so much about a dragon-worshipping temple?” Gideon said.

Waving his hands, Leo shook his head and backed away.

Jet caught Leo by the shoulders and looked into his eyes. “Leo. Even if you were a cultist, it doesn’t matter. No one will hold it against you, as long as you help us get out of here.”

Leo hesitated, then nodded. He raised his hand again.

Gideon copied him and raised his hand. His stone began to glow.

“Oh, like that.” Jet raised his hand as well.

Following the others, Angel raised her hand. Their stones all emitted a glow.

Kat looked at them, then tilted her head. She looked at her stone, then held it out in front of her. Nothing happened.

Leo nodded at her and gestured upward, raising his hand.

Kat raised her other hand, the one without the stone.

Shaking his head, Leo put that hand down and raised his other hand.

Kat squinted. She knelt and put the stone into the rising water.

Gideon stepped forward. He put a hand on his chin, brows furrowed seriously, as though he couldn’t figure it out, either. “Maybe you should try saying something.”

“Oh stone, please glow!” Kat said. Nothing happened.

“Hmm… maybe try using both hands!” Gideon said, grinning.

Kat held it out before her in both hands. No glow emerged. She frowned, her brows furrowing. “It’s not working.”

“That really is strange. Maybe if you do a little twirl and toss it in the air?” Gideon suggested. His eyes widened, and he nodded. “Wait, I know! Try barking like a dog. Or maybe… a handstand!”

Water crept up toward their knees. Frustrated, Jet stomped forward and grabbed Kat’s arm, pulling it upright. Light glowed from her stone the same as it glowed from the rest of the stones. If Gideon didn’t throw fuel on the stupid-fire, she would’ve figured it out ages ago.

“Alright, now what?” Jet asked, looking at Leo.

Leo pointed downward.

“We put the stones down?” Jet asked.

Leo shook his head, putting his hands out flat to insist Jet stop. He pointed downward again and jumped.

“We—” Jet’s voice broke into a yelp as the floor gave out under them. All five of them tumbled into darkness, plummeting downward along with the water.

“Leo! I knew it, you—” Gideon shouted angrily.

Splash.

Dark water swallowed them up. Jet fell. A stream of bubbles traced up after him, barely visible in the gloom.

Elly broke the surface first. Gasping a breath, she dove back under. Jet surfaced and tread water, searching around him.

Coming back up, Elly carried a coughing Kat on her chest. She stroked for the edge of the pool, where a broken stone platform reached out into the water.

Angel bobbed up beside her. She flailed, barely staying afloat, then doggy paddled for the edge.

“Where are Gideon and Leo?” Jet asked.

Elly shook her head, panting too hard to reply.

“I’m kind of busy,” Angel gasped.

Jet dove down, eyes open to peer around the dark water. The water swallowed up the light a dozen feet down, leaving him floating in an inky void. He squinted. Bubbles. Clothes. A sign of life.

A hand clawed out of the gloom. Eyes shone in the low light. Jet flinched out of the way as Leo soared past. Silvery bubbles rushed past, racing Leo to the surface.

Jet turned around and clawed after him, breaking the surface long after Leo. Leo leaned back in the water, pulling Gideon up onto his chest so the man could breathe. Eyes wide, Gideon thrashed, but couldn’t fight off Leo’s hold. With practiced ease, Leo kicked toward the edge, floating on his back and gripping Gideon with both arms.

They reached the edge. Gideon leaped out of Leo’s grip and held on to the stone floor with both hands, clinging to it like a drowning rat. Coughing and spluttering, he hung there for a long moment, struggling to breathe.

Jet grappled up onto the ledge and sat there, pulling his boots out of the water. One by one, he dumped water out of them.

Leo hopped up alongside him. He glanced around at everyone, checking that they’d all made it, then sighed and joined Jet in attempting to dry off.

Slowly, Gideon wriggled his way up onto the ledge. Beached at last, he let out an exhausted sigh and looked at Leo. “Your plan was to escape drowning by drowning us?”

Leo put up his hands and shook his head hard.