Page 131 of Surfer's Paradise

Isaac nodded, pulling on his vest, feeling the straps tighten against his chest.

“Depth?”

“About 150 feet.” Zach wiped saltwater off his hands. “You ready?”

Isaac grinned. “Born ready.”

And that was the last thing he remembered feeling good about.

Because an hour later, he was drowning.

* * * * *

150 Feet Below the Surface

The world below was a different place.

Weightless. Silent.

A stretch of blue fading into black.

Isaac drifted through the deep, his breath steady, controlled, his heartbeat a slow, methodical thump in his chest.

The dive had started smooth.

They had descended in formation, sweeping along the rocky formations of the ocean floor, flashlights casting sharp beams through the dim light.

Vero was ahead, gliding like she was born in the water, leading the dive instructor toward a jagged rock shelf.

Zach, Dom, and Jesse kept formation, their movements fluid, precise.

Shay was a little further back, checking the drift.

Isaac adjusted his buoyancy, angling himself slightly as he followed, watching the terrain shift below them.

And then—the current changed.

A hard pull, stronger than anticipated.

His body jerked slightly to the side.

Not a big deal. Not a problem.

He adjusted, moved to correct his position.

But the force came again—sudden, sharper this time.

And before he could react—

Something hit him.

Hard.

The impact was immediate, brutal.

His body slammed sideways into rock, the shock of it bursting through his ribs like a gunshot.

His mask shifted. His regulator knocked loose.

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