The lake was just as beautiful as when he saw it in the stream. So serene; so picturesque and quiet—a hidden jewel but hiding a secret foreboding an uncertain future. Renuo wasn't sure if he wanted to reveal it or not.

As the others admired the serenity of the place, Zelenia looked back at him.

It's time, her voice said in his head.

He took a heavy breath, then walked to the shoreline; he took a moment watching the clear waters ebb and flow on the beach then looked up. He couldn't deny the increase of his heart as he looked over the still lake—his heart pounded with the knowledge of what lay underneath.

Renuo pulled the ancient trident off his back; he hesitated before pointing it down at where the temple should've been.

His trident pulsated as if alive and the waters reacted; the water bubbled softly, then it turned angry, broiling and churning. As he had seen, the lake opened up before him: the waters parted and grew further apart to reveal the lakebed sloping down to a gray and algae-covered stone temple.

"Whoa," Pica breathed as she looked down at Water's temple.

Renuo looked back at Kalisa; she met his gaze and nodded in encouragement. He turned back around, released a steadying breath, then started to descend. He heard the others following his lead.

The lake waters remained on either side of them, firm walls of water and growing higher and higher as they walked down. They had to be careful to watch for slick rocks or vegetation; small and larger fish could be seen swimming alongside them. Pica cautiously poked a finger into the left wall, then yanked it out and stared, like she had expected it to deflate and drown them. Tegen stooped at one point to pick up a flopping fish; he moved to a water wall and returned the fish into the lake.

Nearing the temple doors, Renuo's chest tightened—he was eager to see what Water would reveal in him but was also afraid of what he had seen in Ilvila: of Water denying him because he wasn't strong enough for the title of Elemental. He had discussed it with Kalisa last night; she adamantly refused it, saying that Water wouldn't have chosen him to change their mind last second and no one could correctly predict the future.

"Those that practice foresight always struggle with the truth of what they saw; there's no guarantee that something will happen because they witnessed it," Kalisa had said before she kissed him. "Catching the future and forcing it to stay how you want it is like holding water in your hand—it's going to find a way to slip free."

Hearing her logic made him feel less shaken, but there was always the chance that...

He blocked the thought; Kalisa had stressed about him ignoring his doubts. She had quickly shown him that she wasn't one easily moved—her stature helped him straighten and hold his. He had needed someone as firm as her all along.

They stopped at the temple doors and Renuo's eyes fixated on the light blue lock in the shape of a trident on the doors. He lifted his trident to where the head matched the imprint; his trident glowed, and a light blue liquid began to fill the indentation. Once full, the liquid hardened; the entire lock disappeared, and the temple doors opened.

"That's a cool way to open a door," Pica said as they stepped into the temple.

They entered an algae-covered stone foyer lit oddly by a soft blue emanating from the waters lining the walkway. Deep in the waters and even some parts of the walls glittered in precious ores and jewels of amethyst, sapphire, and emerald. Once they were all in, the doors swung shut behind them and they heard a loud roar as the lake re-closed and hid the temple under its waters again.

Renuo led them down the stairs at the end of the foyer and into the main chamber. Water was everywhere: in pools, multiple waterfalls, water trickling its way down stone walls; the water from the foyer cascaded down on either side of the stairs to join pools stretching along the walls on either side. A soft blue illuminated the large chamber and the walls, and the ceiling glittered. Wooden bridges crisscrossed the room, arching over gushing rivers to link island to island. On each island was a stone structure, and the only entrance being a double door.

Where they were in the entrance was only one passageway open to them: across a bridge to a door to the left. Renuo took in a deep breath before he took charge by leading them to the left.

The room they entered was small; the room only had a raised stone platform with three separate daises branching off it—facing the shut exit. Water flowed down from the ceiling into pools at the corners. High above the door were glass cases set into the wall; the middle case was the only one empty of water. A wooden sign sat at the foot of the stairs leading up to the platform.

Water: a shapeshifter, a provider, and a danger

Which form is safest?

Water feeds off Fire and Air

Too much of one, destroys the other

Find the balance to pass

"So, what do we have to do?" Pica asked.

"It's only for Geryon, Aeris, and me," Renuo answered. He looked up at the glass cases. "We're to use our Elements to fill the middle case: Aeris will turn her water into ice and Geryon will turn his into mist, and I will change the forms back into liquid."

Aeris and Geryon ascended behind him as the other five gathered to the side of the locked door to watch. Renuo stepped onto the middle dais; Aeris was on his left and Geryon took the right.

He glanced at them. "This might take a while to find the balance."

"Especially since Air comes and goes," Aeris said.

"Then you start to see how this will be," Geryon suggested. "Fire isn't going anywhere."

She faced her full glass case, took in a deep breath, then slowly let it out as a hand drifted toward her water like directing the flow of air. Her power hit it, for the calm waters gradually crystalized, turning into a solid block of ice. The temperature in the room dropped dramatically as well: the pools of water froze, and the humid air turned frigid where snowflakes fell, their breaths turned into puffs of smoke, and water dripping from the ceiling turned into icicles.

Aeris jerked her hand back with a look around, amazed at the room's reaction to her. The three women below them shivered, huddling closer to Tegen and Helian for warmth.

Renuo willed himself to turn the frozen water around him back into liquid; some of the ice melted but not a lot of it. And his glass case didn't receive a drop. He looked at Geryon.

"I guess it's your turn."

Geryon turned to his water and just glared at it, not raising a hand or anything like trying to direct power. His waters quickly boiled and steamed. The room's temperature skyrocketed, melting every single piece of ice, and evaporating the snowflakes; it became humid again, and the moisture settled on their skin as heavy dew.

Once again, Renuo focused on absorbing the water out of the air and turning it back into liquid; again, his case remained empty.

He felt discouraged; maybe the reason nothing happened because he wasn't the Water Elemental. But he had parted the lake and opened the temple; he glanced at Kalisa. She believed he was, and that was all he needed.

Renuo grew straighter as determination filled him. "Together; go at the same time," he told them.

Aeris' hand reached out for her case, and he saw Geryon's water boiled and steamed again. The room didn't know how to regulate itself—it switched between winter and summer faster than the blink of an eye. The change was a tug-o-war between the two seasons before they found balance: snowflakes drifted down from the ceiling at the same time as rain did.

As soon as he felt the balancing of Elements, he focused on drawing the water out of the steam and melting the block of ice. Water showed in his glass case and the line gradually grew higher.

When he heard a sharp intake of breath to his left, the growing line of water slowed; he looked over: Aeris was trembling and turning blue from the severe cold. Ice had grown thick all around her, freezing her feet to the stone, and icicles hung from her arms—the previous dew on her had frozen. He heard the cracking of ice as it crystallized, and she grimaced—either her metal arm or leg just froze. The balance in the air faltered as she lost focus and the room heated.

Geryon noticed too. "Aeris!"

The balance tipped again, and the room grew colder; she snapped to attention. "No; stay focused! I... I can't do this... a second time!" she chattered.

It took some time for them to find the right balance again—Geryon had to tone down his focus to match Aeris' and Renuo threw all he had into quickening the drain of water from the solid and gas forms. Eventually, his glass case became full; a deep thud sounded like locks being pulled out of a door.

Simultaneously, they stopped using their Elements; Renuo immediately turned to check on Aeris: she strained to keep her eyelids open and the only reason she still stood was because of the ice encased around her legs. Geryon ran to her side and wrapped around her; she cried out in pain and relief when the ice broke around her frozen limbs. She buried her shaking face in his chest to get warm.

Renuo looked down at the others. Tegen held Kalisa and Pica close to his chest, and Helian rubbed Zelenia's hands together as she kept looking up at Aeris and Geryon. Once she felt her hands again, she hurried up to join them. The young Moon asked Aeris questions; she answered them while trying to keep herself as snug to Geryon as possible.

Kalisa understood the concern in his eyes. "We're fine." Pica brought her hands to her face and blew into them.

He walked over to the three huddled together. "Are you okay?" he asked Aeris.

Even though she still shook and looked drained, color was returning to her face; she nodded. Geryon kept rubbing the warmth back into her metal arm.

With Aeris clinging to Geryon, they left the room; they lingered on the island for her to recover. When she stopped shivering and could finally stand on her own again, they headed over the bridge to their next test. The following rooms weren't as dangerous, but tested Renuo's will: there were many puzzles where he needed control over water and in one, creatures formed up out of water and attacked them—no one else could hurt them other than Renuo.