When I opened my eyes, I was surrounded by water.
My lungs screamed, my limbs flailed. Panic surged through me as I clawed my way toward the surface. The current pulled at me, dragging me under, but I fought back, gasping and choking on mouthfuls of freezing water. My body slammed against the river's muddy bottom. I curled onto my left side, coughing, disoriented.
Something was wrong.
I blinked. My right side… I couldn't feel it.
I closed my eyes.
"I CAN'T SWIM."
That voice echoed in my head—Raiden. He had said that once. When we were diving. I had laughed, thinking it was a joke.
But now?
RAIDEN IS NOT WITH ME.
I sat up suddenly, my heart thundering louder than the river beside me. My gaze darted around in panic.
Where was he?
I didn't hesitate.
I plunged back into the water. No thoughts. No hesitation. Just instinct.
The water swallowed me again, colder this time. Blades of ice cut into my skin. My eyes searched the dark depths, and finally—there. A shadow, sinking deeper and deeper.
Raiden.
I kicked hard, my lungs already begging for air, but I dove further. Closer. I reached out, my fingers brushing against his limp body. His weight pulled me down, but I didn't let go. I couldn't.
I wrapped my arms around him and pushed upward. Every kick burned. My vision blurred. The world narrowed down to one thought—Save him.
I broke the surface, gasping, dragging his body onto the shore. My arms trembled. My whole body screamed in exhaustion.
But I didn't stop.
I knelt beside him, pressed my ear to his chest.
Nothing.
No beat. No breath.
"NO," I shouted, my voice raw. "DAMN IT, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO DIE. YOU SHOULD'VE TOLD ME YOU COULDN'T SWIM!"
He wasn't just someone I'd met a few days ago. He mattered. He was more than a stranger. More than a companion.
I placed my hands on his chest and started compressions. Over and over.
Nothing.
Again.
Still nothing.
Tears blurred my vision, but I kept going.
Then I shouted, "WATCH ME, YOU SHITTY GUY!" and in pure desperation, I punched his chest.
One. Last. Time.
And then—
A gasp.
A broken, wet gasp.
He choked. Coughed. Water gushed from his mouth as his eyes fluttered open, dazed, confused, but alive.
"You… damn idiot," I breathed, half-laughing, half-crying. "Next time, warn me!"
He blinked at the sky.
Then passed out again.
But he was breathing. That was enough.
I lay him beneath the shelter of a nearby tree and whispered, "I'll be right back."
The forest was no longer foggy. But still foreign. Still dangerous.
I scanned the area and finally spotted a dark shape in the distance—a cave. I approached carefully, my soaked clothes clinging to my skin. The cave was empty, but safe. Dry.
I returned to Raiden and carried him, struggling against the weight but refusing to stop until he was safe inside. I laid him down, checked his body for injuries. There were bruises… but then something else caught my eye.
A scar.
Right on his chest. It looked familiar. Too familiar.
I reached out, hesitating, then touched it. I saw a scar, just like my into his skin—just like the scar on mine on my neck
Chills ran down my spine.
I closed his clothes gently, lit a fire, and sat there trembling. My wet clothes dried in the heat, but the cold inside me lingered.
I wiped away a few tears. I missed my village. My sister. The warmth of safety. But that life… it wasn't mine anymore. Not until I knew who I was.
I curled up near the fire and, finally, sleep pulled me under.
The next morning, I woke up to a sharp pain in my back. My eyes fluttered open.
Raiden was sitting upright, staring at his arm as if it didn't belong to him.
I groaned. "You're finally awake."
He glanced at me and gave a small, sheepish smile. "Thank you… for saving my life."
I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, sure. But next time? Tell me if you can't do something. Like, I don't know—swimming?"
He nodded, looking at the cave entrance. The light spilled in, but it couldn't reach the weight behind his eyes.
I got up, walked over, and touched his forehead.
"Hmm. No fever. That's a good sign."
He chuckled softly and nodded again.
I smiled. "Hey, why so quiet? We just survived a waterfall and didn't get eaten by a river demon. Things can only get better, right?"
He stared at me for a long moment.
Then suddenly, he leaned in and headbutted me—not hard, but enough.
"Next time," he said, "don't pull me off a freaking waterfall."
I gasped and held my forehead. "Ow! You little—!"
He smirked.
I tried to stay mad. But failed. I smiled back.
The fire crackled between us. Outside, the wind rustled the leaves. The world was still dangerous. Unforgiving. Uncertain.
But for a moment, it didn't matter.
Because we were still here.
And the story wasn't over.