If you're reading this, I'm sorry. Like so many before, the Wave of Red October has brought you to this place. This world is not your friend. Only the cold depths of these uncharted waters await you. You are one of us now. A Child of the Wave. So, pay attention, and you may learn something that will save the lives of yourself and your crew.

My name is Callum Lowe. I'm sixteen years old, and this is my story...

October 31st, 2036. Time until the 4th Wave arrives: 5 minutes...

I could smell it coming. The air smelled like something was burning. You know that smell after a lightning storm? That clean, crisp smell. That's it. Everyone was gathered on the streets. Parents were saying their goodbyes to their children.

Humanity had learned from the past three Waves that there was no way to stop it. Hide in a sealed bunker, you say? Tried that. What about flying over it? Nope. That didn't work, either. That was the problem with dealing with the Wave every year since it first arrived.

There was absolutely no hope for the Crested. I stared at my own crest in silence. It had appeared on the back of my left hand on October 1st. That's how I knew it was my time. Every year these crests would appear randomly on anyone between the ages of twelve and nineteen.

A black circle with a black dot in the center. Then, between one and five, four-pointed diamonds branch off the dot in the center. Many people have tried to discern the meaning of the different crests. However, they were still looking for an answer.

The fifth crest. That's what I have. Five diamonds. Who knows what it means? Either way, I was sure I was about to find out. My mom suddenly grabbed me in a tight hug. Her whole body trembled as I breathed in the flowery scent she always wore.

'Callum...' She said between sobs. 'No matter what happens. I'll always love you!'

'I love you too, mom.'

I hugged her back and buried my face in her hair. This was the last time I would ever see her. Nobody who had been taken by the Wave had ever returned. My mom had feared this day ever since the first Wave arrived. Humanity had no clue as to what happened to those who would vanish.

Some believed that the Wave would just kill us. Annihilate our bodies, so there was nothing left to find. Others thought it had something to do with spirits. Since it happens every year on Halloween. Like we're some kind of yearly sacrifice.

Many, like my mom, believed that those taken were still alive somewhere. I was never very bright, so my mom did everything she could. She signed me up for every fighting class she could find. Everything and anything to do with fitness as well.

I went along with it. I couldn't trample on her hopes, even if I hated fighting. A shiver ran through my body as my arms got goosebumps. Damn. I wished I had more time. She's going to be all alone.

'Mom, I'm...'

The sirens started blaring as the crowd shouted hysterically. I clenched my jaw and glanced around at those trying to hold on to their loved ones. That's when I saw it. The giant Wave of ghostly red water rushed toward me. It went straight through walls unimpeded without damaging anything.

'Callum!'

I still remember her scream as the Wave washed over me. People like me, the Crested, were swept up in its icy water as it left everyone else behind. Untouched. I had never felt anything in the previous years when the Wave passed through me. So the chill of the water and its metallic taste in my mouth came as a surprise.

'Ah!'

I slammed against the hard ground, coughing and spluttering to remove the water I had swallowed. The foul red liquid splashed against the grey stone as I heard the rush of water. I'm alive! That's all I could think as I glanced around at the others struggling to stand up.

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

A cavern? That's what we arrived in. Don't ask me how. But it's the truth. Purple moss grew on the stalagmites and stalactites that encircled the flat area where we had landed. I squinted as I searched for the source of the light that allowed me to see. There! Black crystals grew in the cavern's walls, and somehow they were giving off a dull glow.

'What's that?' A kid to my left asked in barely a whisper as he looked at something behind me.

My eyes followed his gaze as I sucked in a deep breath. That thing is a monster! I was looking at something that resembled a spaceship from a sci-fi movie. Except most of it seemed submerged in the underground lake of red water!

How long is that? About the length of four football fields? Damn. It's around six hundred feet long!

'Everyone! Gather up! I'm Cassie Barnes!' A short, dark-haired girl called out over the commotion. 'I'm a member of the Wave Exploration Forces!'

Now that got my attention. I frowned as I glanced at Cassie and the tight group around her keeping others from getting too close. The Wave Exploration Forces, or WEF. The government had set up training camps for gifted individuals on the chance of us surviving the Wave.

The people chosen for it were trained in all sorts of scenarios to act as leaders. The end goal was that one of them could lead people home and provide intel on the purpose of the Wave. I groaned as I noticed the hopeful expressions on those around me. Like cattle being led to the slaughter.

With members of the WEF being here, it only meant one thing. We were about to be put under martial law. We would be treated as military members with these folks in charge. All so they can complete the mission assigned to them by the government.

I groaned as I joined the rest of the group heading toward her. There was no point in standing out and speaking out against her. After all, none of us knew what was going on, and they were our best chance of surviving.

'Thatcher, how many do we have?' Cassie asked as she glanced at the boy next to her. He couldn't have been any older than fourteen.

'I'd say one hundred at a quick glance, Ma'am.'

'Ok, listen up, everyone. I don't know where we are or why we are here. What I do know is that we are all in this together. This is a trying time for all of us. So I must ask you all to do your part and help us get home.' Cassie cast her gaze over the crowd before continuing. 'Out of the WEF officers here, I have taken command. That is due to our situation.'

'We've spoken among ourselves and determined that the vessel over there is most likely a submarine, although it's unlike any we've ever seen. The only way out of this cavern is by using that vessel to dive into the water.'

'Now, we will split into groups as we explore the vessel. We must secure shelter and supplies before we do anything else. For now, I want you to form lines based on your crest. This'll be your group. If you discover anything that may be important during the search, report it to one of the officers. Let's move people!'

'Fifth Crest, with me!' A bulky guy shouted over the crowd as he separated from Cassie's group. That must be my officer. I sighed as I studied his chiseled features and dark skin. I could tell right away this guy was used to fighting. It was how he carried himself as if he were ready to be attacked at any moment.

'Ok, my name is David Williams. I'll be the officer in charge of this group.' David frowned as he looked at us. 'It seems like we have the largest number of people. Let's hope it's a good thing. Groups one through four will enter the vessel ahead of us. Then I'll meet with my fellow officers before we decide how to split up the search. So just be patient for a few minutes until the others move.'

'Hi, I'm Mike.' A kid next to me said as he held out his hand.

'Callum. You can call me Cal.' I nodded as I shook his hand. He had quite a firm grip despite being younger-looking than me.

'So, Cal, what do you think is going on?' Mike asked with a hint of excitement in his voice.

'No clue.' I sighed as I stared at the mammoth vessel. 'I just hope these guys know what they're doing.'

'True. I feel you. But have you noticed that everyone in our group is in good shape?' Mike asked with a wide grin that startled me.

I couldn't help but look around at his statement. He was right. Everyone seemed slim, toned, or bulky with muscle. That was when the first group walked past us, allowing me to study them. There were clearly people who had let themselves go in that group. That hinted at some deeper meaning behind our crests.

'You really didn't notice, huh?' Mike chuckled as we watched the other groups file past us. 'These WEF folks must have realized it. That submarine, as they called it, looks like it's hiding some serious firepower. Why would you need that unless there's something to fight?'

'What are you saying?' I asked as I felt a drop of sweat run down my face.

'Nothing. Yet.' Mike replied as he shrugged his shoulders. 'I just have a hunch, and I'm speaking out loud here. Don't want to get in trouble if I'm wrong.'

I squinted at him as I thought about what he had said. If that thing is a warship and everyone in our group has some athletic ability, that would make us soldiers. Just like the WEF folks wanted. But what did that really mean for us? We would be underwater. There was no way we could be used as frontline soldiers.

If that were true, then what did that mean for the other groups? I felt a headache coming on as I thought about that.

'Fifth group! Let's move!' David shouted from the front as he led us toward the vessel. That was when I saw a metallic panel turn a transparent blue as those in front of us stepped off the rocky ground and into it.

What the heck is that? Some kind of forcefield? I gulped as we drew closer, and I could finally appreciate its true size. One by one, I watched those people before me step through the energy shield until my turn came. My heart felt like it would burst out of my chest as I stepped up to the edge and looked down into the water.

It was a sheer drop. The bottom of the underground lake was nowhere in sight. One of the officers of the WEF was standing on a small metal platform in front of the energy shield, waiting for me.

'Take a deep breath. It's just a small step.' She said as she smiled at me.

There! I did it. I glanced nervously at her before staring at the shimmering blue wall. The corridor beyond it was wide enough for three people side by side and was brightly lit.

'See, that wasn't so bad.' The officer said as she giggled. 'Now, you need to put your left hand in the hole, with your crest facing up before the barrier will let you pass.'

My hand trembled as I followed her instructions. Images flooded my mind of something inside the hole, ripping my hand off. But nothing happened. Until it did.

I yelped as I pulled my hand back. My crest was stinging as the officer grinned before urging me to step through the barrier. I battled my nerves as I took that first step. Goosebumps ran over my skin as I passed through the strange, blue energy. Into the vessel that would become my new home.