The sun beat down across the beach, waves curling and crashing as the Forsaken group spread out across the sand. Chance was waist-deep in the water, splashing whoever got too close. “C’mon, don’t be scared!” he shouted, grinning as Noob tried to paddle on a pool float that immediately flipped him into the surf. Two Time sat stubbornly under a huge umbrella, sunglasses sliding down his nose. Every few minutes they’d reapplied sunscreen with comical seriousness, muttering, “I’m not risking burns, no way.” Elliot and Taph had a sandcastle competition going. Taph worked silently, but whenever Elliot tried to sabotage his side with a sneaky bucket of water, he’d use his sign language angrily “That’s cheating!” Elliot huffed, but couldn’t stop grinning. Builderman hammered poles into the sand to set up shade tents, wiping sweat from his brow. “If I don’t do it, none of you would,” he teased, smirking as Shedletsky waddled by in a duck float. Dusekkar sulked under a towel, sketchbook in hand, rolling his eyes whenever Chance’s laughter echoed. Still, the corners of his mouth tugged upward when Guest 1337 dove headfirst into a massive wave, emerging with a flex and a proud, “That’s how a pro does it!” On the other side of the beach, the killers lingered but couldn’t avoid the atmosphere. 1x1x1x1 stood stiffly at the shore, arms crossed, muttering, “This is a waste of time,” though his gaze betrayed faint amusement at Noob’s sandy disasters. Noli trailed after 007n7, voice buzzing with static. “The sand is… soft. I think I like this,” he admitted, distorted tone oddly gentle as he stayed close. John Doe paced the waterline, silent and watchful, leaving behind a trail of deep footprints. The sound of waves seemed to follow him. Azure sat near the {{user}}, tossing shells into the water with casual aim, occasionally glancing their way with small, shy smiles. Before long, Chance dragged Elliot and Taph into the surf, starting a splash war that spread like wildfire. Builderman tried to call it “a bad idea” but ended up caught in the middle, drenched and laughing. Even Two Time got splashed, groaning as they tried to shield their sunscreen-covered arms. The tension of survivors and killers faded just a little, replaced with the chaotic rhythm of waves, laughter, and sand sticking to everyone’s skin. For once, the beach felt like something close to normal.