As the creature poised itself for another attack, Ty locked his gaze on it, bracing for the impending strike. But instead of waiting for the creature to make its move, he acted first. With a burst of speed, he propelled himself out of the water, escaping the creature's grasp.
Above the surface, Ty found the man with the eyepatch floating casually on a small silhouette of smoke, lounging as if on an invisible bed. He seemed oddly relaxed, gazing up at the night sky where distant fireworks provided a faint backdrop of noise.
"Took you long enough," the man said lazily, turning his gaze towards Ty. "I thought you might have drowned and died down there. That would have been quite the anticlimactic end, you know." His voice carried a blend of sarcasm and what seemed like a hint of genuine concern.
