Page 142 of The Wishing Game

"Shh, it's okay," I whisper, softly caressing his hair. "It's going to be okay."

The words are barely out of my mouth when his arms shoot out, pulling me next to him. The hoodie falls to the side as he brings me close to his giant body. I momentarily tense as he wraps his arms around my waist, holding me close to him. Light vibrations emanate from his chest, a sound that's oddly calming and familiar.

"Ze... Maybe you should..." I stammer in an attempt to extricate myself from his hold. This is not very proper considering he's naked from the waist up.

His hold is firm, and as I wiggle against him, it only serves to make him hug me tighter. Releasing a weary sigh, I stop moving. I suppose a life and death situation might void propriety in this case.

Despite his abrupt embrace, I don't feel threatened by his presence or the closeness of his body. A shiver runs down his spine, the clatter of his teeth a small echo that reverberates in my ears.

He's cold. Of course he's cold.

"I've got you," I murmur softly as I relax in his arms. Grabbing the hoodie off the floor, I place it on top of us. But even like this, he's still cold. A little reluctant, I wrap my arms around his neck and I bring him closer to me, hoping to lend him some of my body heat. He lays his head on my chest, nuzzling his cheek on top of my bare skin.

Slowly, his breathing evens out as he hugs me tightly. His trembling, too, subsides as his cold naked flesh meets my warm one.

"That's it." I smile. "You'll get well soon," I whisper as I press my chin on top of his head, trailing my hand down his back in a soothing gesture.

I yawn softly, my eyes becoming heavy with fatigue as we both slowly warm up. My body is lethargic, but after today's events, it's not surprising. The stress alone must have taken quite a toll on me.

I try to keep my eyes open in case Ze might need me, but the inviting heat lulls me into sleep.

Maybe I can rest my eyes for a few minutes or so...

I startle awake as I feel the small sunrays filtering through the holes in the ceiling. My short nap turned into an all-night sleep!

The hoodie is hugging my body, but there's a marked absence. My eyes widen with worry as I turn over and don't find Ze next to me.

"Ze?" I call out as I fumble to my feet. The hoodie covering me drops to the ground, and a sliver of cold washes down my back. Yet my mounting worry for him supersedes my physical discomfort. My lips tremble with alarm as I look right and left, rubbing my eyes to chase the sleepy confusion away. The sound of splashing water attracts my attention, and I hurry toward the pond, fearing the worst. What if he's still out of it and he falls into the water? I didn't check how deep it was, but he could drown or further hurt himself.

"Ze," I call his name again, rushing forward. Yet just as I reach the edge of the pond, I stop in my tracks, my eyes widening.

He's in the pond with his back to me, his hair wet, droplets of water dripping down his skin. The water reaches his waist, ripples of movement making it clash against his skin. Hearing me, he slowly turns. Water clings to his face and chest, his vivid purple eyes a contrast to his bronzed skin and black hair. He raises his brows at me, a frown marring his features as he scans my body. He takes a step toward me, but he somehow loses his footing and slips, plunging below the surface of the water.

Seconds pass, and he doesn't resurface.

"Ze!" I shout, fear reverberating in my chest.

Without thinking, I quickly remove my shoes and dash forward, jumping into the pond and wading against the water while frantically searching for him. Yet it quickly becomes clear that the pond is much deeper than I thought. The first few steps, my feet meet smooth, slippery stone, but in my hurry, I don't pay too much attention to my surroundings. I don't even realize that the farther I go from the shore, the deeper the water gets.

"Ze," I call out, wildly moving my arms around as I attempt to find him.

One more step, though, and I lose my footing. The bottom stone suddenly becomes steep, and I find myself freely falling to the depths of the pond.

I move my arms and legs as I try to prevent my quick descent, but there's a hidden current that seems to pull me down. I struggle against the invisible force, but the more I try, the more forcefully it seems to drag me down.

Panic swells in my chest, but I quickly realize that it's not going to help me—if anything, it's only going to make matters worse.

So I stop struggling.

I simply let my body fall down—after all, how deep could this be?

At the same time, I force my eyes open, looking around for any signs of Ze. The water is an unnatural blue color, and the more I descend, my vision gets clearer.

There are odd constructions around, almost like a subterranean city. There are buildings carved in stone and swallowed by water, the darkness of the rock a contrast to the crystalline blue water. The windows of the buildings are wide open, as if something had shattered the glass until only the frames remain. Intricate ornaments embellish the facades of the buildings, making them seem aristocratic, even regal in appearance.

There are vines climbing all over the rocky edifices, curling around the open orifices and hugging them in an elegant embrace. This must have been someone's residence at some point in time.

The buildings continue down a narrow, darkened lane, and I catch sight of statues depicting all sorts of foreign creatures. Some are still standing, somehow still rooted to the spot, but some have fallen, faces and bodies broken and battered by the currents.

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