Gosh now this is an adventure and a half, literally! There is so much here, first of all, thank you for not holding back, I run this contest for the pleasure of having wonderful tales told to me <3 What a hard hitting opening! And damn, you really got this one out of the park!

You really paint a detailed picture of the background for your story here, creating a vivid image for each character at the start, which allows the reader to carry them through the story. I really like the crux of this story, the way is rests of two sided history and selflessness.

A single moment determined the rest of this, Tarik turning back, seeing her in need, and going back to help her without thinking about it, even though he didn’t know the danger had really passed made all the difference. And although that is the main layer to the story; the Atlanteans and their secret life below the surface, the waterways and the lost history rewritten by the Greeks (and i did really love the way you tied so much of this into real life history) that is only one layer. There is another note to this. The right questions, and the right answers, and division. And how in times of difficulty, and poverty, division comes back up, 172 years later, division is still a problem, and those on the top, still want to keep everyone else tied down below them. The idea of him realising the problem is so bad, he managed to find a small slice of glad that his wife and child wouldn’t have to face it, that he was free to fight without fear for them.

Fate conspired to bring Tarik to this point, both chosen, and found, prepared to die to do what’s right. The way this came back to the start, with a debt repaid by Ieda. And the 3000 years of lies. (makes me wonder about those who history is most adamant about…) The idea of there being a better version of mankind, who has opted out of this, and chosen to live below, is inspiring. This is a beautifully thought out story that hinges on so much, yet comes together so well.