The water was dark, cold, and disorienting, a black void that swallowed sound and light and hope. Cedric kicked desperately toward what he prayed was the shore, Lily’s small hand clutched tightly in his, her grip the only thing anchoring him to reality. The saltwater burned his eyes and stung the cuts on his skin, but he kept moving, lungs screaming for air, legs heavy with exhaustion and fear. Gianni was close behind, his strong strokes cutting through the current, pushing them forward when the waves tried to pull them back under. The dog paddled ahead, a dark shape in the murk, its instincts driving it toward land even as the cold numbed its limbs.They broke the surface gasping, the night air hitting their wet faces like a slap. The rocky beach was jagged and unforgiving, stones cutting into their hands and knees as they crawled out of the water. Cedric collapsed for a moment, coughing up seawater, his chest heaving. Lily lay beside him, shivering violently, her small body curled i
Last Updated : 2026-06-08 Read more