Pulled under by the waves once again, Alex made a split-second decision. With every ounce of determination he had left, he pushed Emily towards the shore, using what little strength remained in his exhausted body. He saw her body float closer to the surface, carried by the current toward the rocky shoreline. Relief mixed with the cold fear that gripped him, but he didn't have time to dwell on it. The ocean's grip tightened around him, pulling him back down into its dark, frigid embrace.
As he sank, the last thing Alex saw was Emily's form being carried away by the waves, a fleeting sense of hope filling his heart before the cold darkness swallowed him whole.
