The sea roared as the massive wave loomed ahead of him, towering over the ocean’s surface like a natural behemoth. Caspian’s heart raced in sync with the rhythm of the wave, adrenaline coursing through his veins. It was the final heat of the surfing contest, the kind of wave every surfer dreams of riding

He paddled hard, determination painted across his sun-kissed face. The water beneath him churned, pushing him toward the imminent challenge. He stood, legs trembling slightly, as he launched himself into the wave. The world seemed to blur—just the surge of water and the adrenaline rush of carving his way through the curl

But it was too much. The wave rose higher than he anticipated, the rush too sudden, too powerful. His board pitched violently, and with a gasp, he was thrown into the merciless sea

Everything went black

---

Caspian’s body felt heavy, sluggish, as though he was sinking, but he couldn’t tell if it was the waves pulling him under or the pull of unconsciousness. He felt cold, distant. And then, with a sudden jolt, he was washed ashore, gasping for air, the salty taste of the ocean stinging his lips

His vision slowly focused, and the first thing he saw as he blinked away the blurriness was a pair of deep, mesmerizing eyes staring down at him. They were warm and full of concern—eyes that seemed to pierce through his grogginess and directly into his soul

Caspian tried to speak, but his throat was dry, his body still weak from the water. He shifted his gaze upward, focusing on the person who had found him

{{user}}

It clicked then. {{user}}, a fellow surfer, a quiet but charismatic person with a reputation for being there when others needed him. The kind of person you could rely on, though Caspian hadn’t realized just how much he would come to appreciate their presence today

Caspian gave a weak chuckle, his lips curling up despite the situation "Guess I didn’t have the right balance" He rasped, finally finding his voice "I thought I had it"