Page 51 of Drenched

I wasn’t just surviving anymore. I was... changing.

My thoughts twisted back to Rynar. To the way he touched me, held me, looked at me like I was the center of his world. It wasn’t human. It was darker than that, deeper, more consuming.

And I was falling for it.

Forhim.

The realization hit me like ice water, sharp and shocking.

I couldn’t love him.

He wasn’t someone I could love. He was a monster. He served the Abyss.

But my heart didn’t care.

I buried my face in my hands, my breath shaking. I couldn’t do this. I couldn’t let myself feel this way.

I needed to leave.

I looked back at the sliver of light on the wall, watching how it shifted. Slowly, steadily, like it was trying to tell me something.

The winter solstice.

The memory clicked into place. Back during my bachelors, I had learned about the shortest day of the year. The longest night.

It was close, just days away. I had been observing it for some time now.

My pulse quickened. The solstice would give me time. Time to swim to shore, find shelter, and move under the cover of darkness.

My chest ached at the thought of leaving him, even though he was the reason I had to go.

I clenched my fists, forcing myself to focus. I couldn’t stay here. If I did, I’d lose everything. My freedom. My humanity.

Myself.

I stood on shaky legs, my body protesting every movement. The algae fabric slid to the ground, pooling at my feet. The light on the wall was faint, but it was enough. Enough to remind me of the surface. Of who I used to be.

I couldn’t let him own me.

Pacing the cavern, my mind raced. The solstice would be my chance. I’d have to play along, let him think I was his willing captive, but I couldn’t let myself believe it too.

Humming softly, I clung to the melody of my mother’s lullaby. It dulled the sharp edges of my fear, steadying my breath. My gaze fixed on the still blue hole where he’d disappeared.

This wasn’t just about escaping him. It was about escaping the part of me that wanted to stay.

I just had to survive a few more days.

Chapter Nineteen

The lullaby slipped from my lips, weaving through the damp air like a thread of warmth in the cold cavern.

“Drenched in peace, let darkness creep, In the abyss, all things sleep.”

The final note trembled, lingering briefly before fading into the silence. For a moment, the only sound was the faint ripple of water from the blue hole in the center of the cave. It was a fragile quiet, too delicate to last.

The water stirred. I froze.

Rynar emerged, his silver form cutting through the surface with effortless grace. His torso rose first, water clinging to his broad chest and shoulders, glinting faintly in the bioluminescence. The rest of him remained hidden beneath the surface, his movements slow and deliberate, as if he had all the time in the world. His black eyes locked onto mine, unreadable and consuming.

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