In the suffocating grip of the storm, Alex had used every last ounce of his strength to push Emily toward the shore. The cold, the weight of the water, and the exhaustion pulled him under, and slowly, the darkness began to close in. At first, there was pain—the icy water searing through his veins and the overwhelming sensation of drowning. Then, all sensation faded away, leaving him floating in an endless void.
When he stirred again, it wasn't to light or life but to sound—disconnected, distant sounds of the world around him. He became aware of faint voices, the rhythmic beeping of medical equipment, and the soft hum of machinery. It was dark—pitch black in every direction. He tried to move, to escape the abyss he found himself in, but no matter which way he turned, the darkness followed, clinging to him like a shadow he couldn't shake.
