Chapter1:TheRisingTide(Aurora’sPOV)
The ocean stretched endlessly before me, shimmering under the warm light of the late afternoon sun. I curled my toes into the cool, damp sand, letting the grains cling to my skin like tiny magnets. The constant crash of the waves against the shore should have been soothing, but today, it was nothing more than a cruel reminder of the emptiness inside me.
“Hey, Aurora, you with us?” Leah’s voice cut through my thoughts.
I turned to see her smiling at me, her dark hair pulled back into a messy bun, and her arm casually slung around Darren’s waist. They looked like a postcard couple: effortlessly perfect and maddeningly in love.
“Yeah, sorry,” I muttered, forcing a smile.
“Come on,” Darren said, tossing a bottle of soda into the air and catching it. “We didn’t drag you out here just so you could brood.”
“Exactly,” Leah added, tugging at my arm. “Fresh air, saltwater, and good company—it’s the perfect breakup cure. Trust me.”
I laughed lightly, though it felt forced. “I’m here, aren’t I?”
“Barely,” Darren teased. He hurled the drink in my direction. I caught it clumsily, earning me a sharp pain in my hands.
“Alright, alright,” I said, tossing it back.
The three of us fell into an easy companionship, laughter mingling with the sound of the waves as we swam in ocean. For a moment, I almost forgot the sharp ache in my chest. Almost.
Leah and Darren were doing their best to cheer me up, and I appreciated it, even if their coupledom felt like salt in the wound. Still, I couldn't deny that being here with them was better than wallowing alone in my apartment.
After an hour or so, Leah tugged Darren towards the beach-side stalls. “We’re getting more drinks. Be right back!”
I waved them off, grateful for a moment of solitude. Turning back to the water, I drifted closer to the waves, letting them lap over my body. The cold was a welcome shock against the warmth of the day.
The horizon was a blur of blue and gold, the sun beginning its slow descent. I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply, letting the salty air fill my lungs.
“You can do this,” I whispered to myself. “You can get over him.”
But the words felt hollow.
A sudden roar startled me, and I snapped my eyes open. The waves, which had been calm moments ago, came violently toward the shore.
“Aurora!” Darren’s voice rang out, sharp and panicked.
I turned to see them sprinting back, their faces pale with alarm.
“Get out of the water!” Leah shouted, her voice barely audible over the crashing tide.
The swell grew larger, a towering wall of water that seemed impossibly high. My feet were frozen to the spot, the sight both breath taking and terrifying.
“Swim, Aurora!” Darren yelled. “Now!”
The command jolted me into action. I waded farther, trying to outpace the monstrous wave. My arms cut through the water, but the current was stronger than I anticipated. It pulled at me, relentless and unforgiving.
Panic rose as the wave loomed closer. I could hear Leah screaming my name, her voice a distant echo. I could also hear the voices of others who stood around but just like Leah’s they were distant.
I tried to swim harder, faster, but the tide was merciless. A crushing force slammed into me, knocking the air from my lungs. The world spun wildly as I was dragged under, the water swallowing me whole.
As darkness closed in, all I felt was the icy grip of the sea pulling me, but all of a sudden, I felt an unrecognizable power begin to flood my veins.
Before I could react to it, my vision darkened. Then, nothing.
