Revisiting Shared Fears in 2026: A Guardian’s Guide to Cek’ik

I still get a little nostalgic when I think about the Derelict Leviathan. In 2026, I treat the Shared Fears Triumph as a retrospective challenge rather than a live seasonal pursuit: Season of the Haunted is long behind us, and Destiny 2 has changed a great deal since 2022. So before I chase this Triumph again, I always check what is currently available in-game, because legacy content and vaulted destinations can shift over time. When the Leviathan is accessible, though, the route and the fight are memorable. Shared Fears asks me to defeat Cek'ik, Seeker of the Deep, an elite Scorn who only appears as the final part of a Public Event. The Triumph itself sits inside a larger Triumph called A Guardian Is A Guardian, Even In A Nightmare, which is necessary for earning the Reaper title. That larger goal is why I keep coming back to this encounter.

Getting to the Royal Pools

My usual route begins at the Castellum Landing Zone on the Derelict Leviathan. I head north, then make a left turn at the third unlit brazier. That path leads into a passageway, and once I am inside the Royal Pools, I wait for the correct Public Event to appear. I have learned to be patient here, because the event is not always active the moment I arrive. The signal I watch for is a message above my abilities that reads, 'Three powerful Nightmares haunt the Leviathan.' Once I see that, I know the encounter has a chance to begin.

There are two practical ways I use to get the Public Event started. First, I can simply stay in the area and kill the Scorn and Cabal that spawn. This is the straightforward method, and it keeps me close to the action. Second, I can move to a different location and come back again. That often places me in a different instance of the map, which can refresh the event state. I like using the Pleasure Gardens as my detour: there is a passageway in the bottom right corner of the Royal Pools map, and it lets me travel between the two areas without much downtime. I usually bounce between the Royal Pools and the Pleasure Gardens a few times if the event refuses to show up.

The Three Nightmares Before Cek'ik

Before Cek'ik appears, I have to defeat three elite Nightmares. Each one is a powerful Scorn, and each appears in a different part of the map. I treat them as a checklist, because the final boss will not spawn until all three are dead.

Nightmare	What I expect	My approach
The Forgotten	An elite Scorn Nightmare	Clear nearby adds, then focus damage
The Sunken	Another elite Scorn Nightmare	Watch for adds and keep moving
The Drowned	The third elite Scorn Nightmare	Finish the kill and prepare for the merge

Once The Forgotten, The Sunken, and The Drowned are killed, the Public Event boss spawns. I always look for the next message: 'The Nightmare Trinity merges in a Gestalt being.' That is my cue that Cek'ik, Seeker of the Deep is about to enter the fight. Cek'ik has an immense amount of health, and fighting alone can feel slow. I have found that the encounter is much smoother with fellow Guardians in the area, because shared damage and crowd control make the boss far easier to take down. Defeating lesser Nightmares also drops Unstable Essence, which grants a temporary damage buff. I pick it up whenever I can, since every bit of extra damage helps against that large health pool.

Completing the Triumph and Moving On

After Cek'ik falls, I receive the normal rewards for a Derelict Leviathan Public Event: a loot chest and reputation toward the Crown of Sorrows. Earning the Shared Fears Triumph is satisfying, but I remind myself that it is only one part of the larger A Guardian Is A Guardian, Even In A Nightmare Triumph. There are still plenty of challenges left for anyone who wants the Reaper title. In 2026, I view this as a nice piece of Destiny 2 history: a route I can still follow when the content is available, a boss I still enjoy fighting with a group, and a Triumph that rewards patience as much as damage. 🎯

If I were giving advice to another returning Guardian, I would say this: check availability first, bring a fireteam if possible, use the Pleasure Gardens detour to refresh the instance, and do not ignore Unstable Essence. The fight is old, but the rhythm still feels good. 🛡️