[Day 5, Dec. 24 – Wintermist Island]
~Octavia~
The ocean’s cold grip tightened around me as I fought to stay afloat. My arms and legs were numb, my movements slowing as exhaustion overtook me.
Panic roared in my chest, my lungs screaming for air.
Water invaded my nose and mouth, choking me as I struggled against the relentless pull of the waves.
I couldn’t breathe.
My vision blurred, and the world around me became a swirling void of dark water and muted noise. My thoughts grew hazy, panic giving way to a bone-deep terror.
This is it.
The realization hit me like a punch to the gut.
I’m going to drown. I’m going to die.
The thought pierced through the haze of terror clouding my mind, and my chest tightened painfully. The ocean felt endless, its icy grip numbing every part of me.
