Nym hit the unforgiving sea with a force that knocked the breath from her lungs. The impact sent a shockwave of pain through her back, and she gasped involuntarily, taking in a mouthful of bitter saltwater instead of air. Her world spun as water closed over her head, and she was swallowed by the depths.
Disoriented and struggling, Nym flailed her arms, her hands clawing at the water in a desperate attempt to reach the surface. But the the sea’s relentless pull, dragged her down, away from the light above. She kicked with all the strength she could muster, but her limbs felt heavy and unresponsive, each movement a monumental effort.
The surface, a shimmering, unreachable boundary between life and death, seemed impossibly far. Her lungs burned for air, her chest tightening with each passing second. Panic clawed at the edges of her mind, but Nym fought to stay focused, to push through the mounting terror. She was the Sultana of Salitra; she could not die like this.
But her body betrayed her. The cold seeped into her bones, sapping her strength, and her vision began to darken, the vibrant colors of the sun-dappled waves fading to a dull, oppressive gray. Her heartbeat thundered in her ears, a frantic rhythm that echoed the desperate need for air. Each pulse was weaker than the last, her resolve slipping away like the last grains of sand through an hourglass.
Nym’s arms grew heavy, her kicks faltering as her strength ebbed. She could feel herself sinking deeper, the sunlight above reduced to a distant glow. Her thoughts began to scatter, replaced by a numbing coldness, an acceptance that she might not survive this, when she remembered the ring that she wore.
Just as her consciousness began to slip away, her fist clenched, and once again she felt the ring's power surge through her, granting her the unnatural strength she needed to save her own life, and nothing more.
Her head broke the surface with a gasp that tore at her throat, saltwater spewing from her mouth as she sucked in a ragged breath of air. The pain was excruciating, her back aflame and her lungs burning, but she was alive. She blinked against the harsh light, her vision blurry and unfocused, but she could see the sky, the endless expanse of blue that she had fought so hard to reach.
Her limbs trembled with exhaustion, but she forced herself to tread water, to keep her head above the waves. She wasn’t out of danger yet, but she was alive.
Disoriented and struggling, Nym flailed her arms, her hands clawing at the water in a desperate attempt to reach the surface. But the the sea’s relentless pull, dragged her down, away from the light above. She kicked with all the strength she could muster, but her limbs felt heavy and unresponsive, each movement a monumental effort.
The surface, a shimmering, unreachable boundary between life and death, seemed impossibly far. Her lungs burned for air, her chest tightening with each passing second. Panic clawed at the edges of her mind, but Nym fought to stay focused, to push through the mounting terror. She was the Sultana of Salitra; she could not die like this.
But her body betrayed her. The cold seeped into her bones, sapping her strength, and her vision began to darken, the vibrant colors of the sun-dappled waves fading to a dull, oppressive gray. Her heartbeat thundered in her ears, a frantic rhythm that echoed the desperate need for air. Each pulse was weaker than the last, her resolve slipping away like the last grains of sand through an hourglass.
Nym’s arms grew heavy, her kicks faltering as her strength ebbed. She could feel herself sinking deeper, the sunlight above reduced to a distant glow. Her thoughts began to scatter, replaced by a numbing coldness, an acceptance that she might not survive this, when she remembered the ring that she wore.
Just as her consciousness began to slip away, her fist clenched, and once again she felt the ring's power surge through her, granting her the unnatural strength she needed to save her own life, and nothing more.
Her head broke the surface with a gasp that tore at her throat, saltwater spewing from her mouth as she sucked in a ragged breath of air. The pain was excruciating, her back aflame and her lungs burning, but she was alive. She blinked against the harsh light, her vision blurry and unfocused, but she could see the sky, the endless expanse of blue that she had fought so hard to reach.
Her limbs trembled with exhaustion, but she forced herself to tread water, to keep her head above the waves. She wasn’t out of danger yet, but she was alive.
