The gold bubble didn’t burst when it hit the shore. It just melted away, slow and quiet, like sugar disappearing in hot water. When it was gone, Julian, Maya, and the others lay sprawled out on the cold, wet sand, catching their breath, totally wiped from the fight beneath the waves.
But they didn’t get a break.
“Get up! We have to move now!” David yelled, voice shaking. He jabbed his finger at the sky.
That little black drone they’d seen before? It had brought friends. Five, then ten, then twenty more buzzed over the water. No gunfire, just a silent circle, red lights blinking—almost like they were counting down to something terrible.
Maya tried to get up, but her legs wouldn’t cooperate. Julian caught her before she could fall. He wrapped his arms around her waist to hold her steady.
