Chapter 5

Chapter 5 TERROR IN THE SKIES! DANGER IN THE DEPTHS! WHAT ELSE IS NEW? Morgan got a good look at the first phantom as it swooped low over the island. At first, it did look batlike. But it was much larger than a bat from the real world, and its wings were tattered like an old, ragged curtain. Morgan could see white bones sticking out through its broken blue skin. Its eyes glowed an eerie shade of green. The phantom looked dangerous. And it was. It swooped low, slashing into Jodi. She flared red, a sign that she'd taken damage.

"Ow!" she said. "I FELT THAT!" The phantom returned to the sky after hitting her. Along with the other two phantoms, it circled high above their heads. "There's nowhere to hide!" said Po. "Harper, get your bow out!" "IT'S USELESS," Harper said. "I don't have any arrows. I can't make more without feathers!" "We can fight back with swords," said Ash. "We just have to wait for the phantoms to swoop down at us." "THAT'S TOO RISKY," Morgan said. "Jodi's already hurt. How many more hits can she take?" "I'm fine," Jodi argued, but she sounded scared. Fighting was dangerous. The island didn't provide any shelter. The boats were too slow for a getaway. Morgan had only one idea for how they could escape the phantoms. But he wasn't sure it was a very good idea. Then one of the phantoms broke from the pack. It dove for them.

It was now or never. DIVE DIVE

"Everyone into the water!" Morgan cried. He waited just long enough to make sure Jodi made it to the edge of the island. Then they all jumped, splashing into the water together. At first, Morgan couldn't see much. Everything beneath the surface was a hazy blue. But as he went farther down, a whole new world opened up before him. Colorful schools of Minecraft fish

darted through the water. An entire forest of long strands of kelp waved in the currents. In the distance, a squid sped through the water using its tentacles. It was a beautiful sight. But one thing was missing: air to breathe. Morgan blinked twice, an action that brought up a menu. His health and hunger meters were full, but his air was already half gone. He took out a potion of water breathing. Before he could drink it, Ash swam in front of him and shook her head.

Morgan didn't understand. The potions were only a temporary solution, but they were better than nothing. Ash gestured for Morgan and the others to follow her. She pointed at something in the water. Something moving. It was a great column of bubbles. The bubbles rose from a glowing orange square of magma on the seafloor. They floated all the way to the surface. And inside the column of bubbles… He could breathe! Morgan took a big breath, then looked above and below him. In the light cast by the magma block, he could see the others had all made it safely to the bubbles. He could also see the shadows of the phantoms. They were still circling above the surface, like hungry sharks. Morgan breathed a sigh of relief that there weren't any actual sharks in Minecraft. Of course, there were other underwater dangers—but it was best not to think about that right now. They needed a shelter. He swam over to Harper.