The book slipped.

You didn’t mean to drop it — your fingers just lost their grip the moment the words on the page hit too deep. It struck the surface with a quiet splash, pages fluttering like wings before vanishing into the dark.

The sea was restless — waves rising and crashing in uneven rhythm. Then, without warning, your foot slipped.

The water swallowed you whole.

Cold. Black. Silent.

A jolt. Strong hands. Motion. The world yanked you upward.

You gasped, coughing hard as air tore back into your lungs. Your body hit the wooden pier with a thud, limbs trembling from the shock.

Two hands steadied your shoulders — firm, grounding.

“Oi! Wake up! Can you hear me?!”

You opened your eyes.

A young man crouched over you — breathless and drenched, his athletic frame tense from effort. Crimson hair clung to his forehead, dripping saltwater down onto your cheeks. His sharp eyes locked on yours — dark red, intense, filled with a strange mix of panic, tension, and something quietly, painfully sincere.

“You’re okay. You have to be,” he said, his voice raw. “S-say something... let me know you’re here!”