After a long and silent moment in the hospital room, Rachel glanced at David. His exhaustion was obvious, etched into the lines on his face. You look like you could use a break, she whispered, standing up. "I'll go grab us some coffee. We both need it."
David nodded absently, barely hearing her words. His mind was elsewhere, swirling with the weight of the decisions he had to make.
Alone, David tried to steady his racing thoughts. He paced back and forth, the sterile smell of the hospital mingling with the heavy thoughts clouding his mind. he paused, running a hand through his hair in frustration. This wasn't a fight he could win just by being determined, and that realization terrified him.
Atlantis. The name echoed in his mind like a distant drumbeat, growing louder with each step he took. It wasn't just a legend, not to him. It had been his passion, his obsession. A pursuit he'd buried deep when life demanded that he let go of such "childish fantasies." But now, standing on the edge of losing everything, David felt the pull again, stronger than ever.
The maps, the theories, the endless nights spent arguing with James about its existence, it all came rushing back. Was it foolish to consider it again? Perhaps. But the idea was like a lifeline in a sea of despair. What if, just what if, Atlantis held something, anything, that could save Elina?
The thought was irrational, almost absurd, but it wouldn't leave him. David's pacing slowed, his thoughts sharpening into focus. Maybe, just maybe, there was a chance, no matter how slim.
When Rachel returned, David was seated by the window, staring out into the night, She handed him a cup of coffee, her eyes narrowing as she took in his distant expression. "You're quiet," she remarked gently, settling into the chair beside him.
David hesitated a bit, but finally spoke.
Rachel, what if… what if there's another way? What if the answer isn't in a hospital, but somewhere else? Somewhere… ancient?"
Rachel frowned, setting her coffee down. "What are you talking about, David?"
He turned to face her, eyes intense. "Atlantis. The lost city. James has been after me for years to help him find it. I always thought it was just a myth, but what if it's real? What if it holds something that could save Elina?"
Rachel stared at him, disbelief and anger flashing in her eyes. "David, are you serious? Atlantis? This isn't the time for fantasies. Elina needs real help, not some wild goose chase."
"I know it sounds crazy," David said, his voice wavering, "but what if it's not? What if there's even the slightest chance? I can't just sit here while she gets worse."
Rachel stood, pacing the room, her frustration obvious. "David, listen to yourself. Our father was obsessed with chasing this scrap fairy tale. He spent his life searching for something that wasn't there, and it cost him everything. Is that what you want? To risk your life on a myth?"
David flinched at her words but held firm. "I'm not abandoning Elina. But I owe it to her to explore every possibility. What if this is the one shot we have?"
Rachel stopped, her eyes filled with a mix of fear and sorrow. "This isn't one of your stories, David. This is real life. Elina needs you here, now."
David sighed, running a hand over his face. "I know. But I can't shake this feeling, Rachel. Something's telling me this isn't just a story, that there's something real out there."
Rachel looked at him for a long moment, then shook her head, her expression softening. "I see you are not willing to let this go, but I can't stop you from doing what you think is right, David. But just… don't let Elina lose you, too."
David nodded, the words sinking deep into his heart. "She won't lose me. I promise."
As Rachel left the room, David sat in the quiet, the ticking of the clock amplifying the tension in his chest. He wasn't thinking about Atlantis, not directly; not yet. His thoughts were a jumble of fear, guilt, and helplessness. The hospital, the doctors, the cold, sterile reality of it all, None of it seemed like enough. None of it could save his daughter.
Desperation ate at him. He needed to do something, anything. His mind raced, searching for any bit of hope to hold onto.
And then, out of the fog of his thoughts, a memory surfaced. David remembered sitting by the fire with his father, the warmth of the flames casting flickering shadows on the walls of their cozy living room. His father, usually a man of few words, had seemed especially thoughtful that evening. David could still feel the fire's heat as his father turned to him, his eyes distant, as though seeing something far away.
"David," his father began, his voice heavy with unspoken stories, "there's something I want to tell you, something I've rarely shared."
Young David had leaned in, eager to hear more. His father's adventures had always been filled with tales of far-off lands and hidden treasures, but this time, there was a different tone, a seriousness that David had never heard before.
"I once went on a journey," his father continued, eyes fixed on the fire. "It was unlike any other. There was a place… an island, where the sea met the sky. We found ancient ruins there, structures like nothing we'd ever seen."
David's heart had raced as his father described the island, shrouded in mist, and the ruins that hinted at something ancient and powerful.
"The locals spoke of legends," his father whispered, "of a city lost beneath the waves, where gods once walked among men."
When David asked if his father believed the legends, he had only smiled, a knowing, bittersweet smile. "Legends often have a kernel of truth," he said.
His father then pulled out a small, weathered journal from his coat pocket. "I made notes of what we found," he said, showing it to David. "But there were things I couldn't write down, things I could only feel. Some mysteries, David, are meant to be uncovered, but others might be better left alone."
David had left the journal, not fully grasping the significance of his father's words at the time. But now, years later, those memories returned with a chilling clarity.
Could his father's adventure have been connected to Atlantis? Had he been closer to the truth than anyone realized? The journal had been lost over the years, but the memory of it, and the words his father had spoken, were still there.
The thought gnawed at David, could his father's mysterious journey hold the key to saving Elina? But questions lingered: Was his father really searching for Atlantis?And if so, what had he discovered that made him so cautious?