Last Breath
[Part 1 of 4]
The submersible Deep Reach groaned under the immense pressure of the ocean’s depths, its metal frame creaking as it descended further into the abyss. The crew of five had signed up for a routine exploration mission, but nothing about this dive felt routine anymore. They were miles below the surface, far from any help, with only their own skills and the sub’s failing systems to rely on.
Captain Marissa Quinn had felt the first sign of trouble hours ago. A faint hiss, barely audible over the hum of the engines, had set her nerves on edge. She glanced around the cramped cabin, catching the eyes of her crew members—each as tense as she was. They were a tight-knit group, having been on multiple dives together, but this time, something was different. Something was wrong.
“Everyone, check your stations,” she ordered, her voice steady despite the growing unease. “I want a full systems report in five.”
The crew moved quickly, their faces illuminated by the dim glow of the control panels. Luka, the lead engineer, was the first to speak up. “Captain, we’ve got a problem,” he said, his voice low. “Oxygen levels are dropping faster than they should be.”
Marissa’s heart skipped a beat. “How much faster?”
“At this rate,” Luka replied, his face pale, “we’ll be out of breathable air in less than eight hours.”
The words hung in the air like a death sentence. Eight hours. It wasn’t enough time to reach the surface, not from this depth. And it certainly wasn’t enough time to solve whatever was causing the leak. Panic started to seep into the cabin, unspoken but palpable.
“We need to find the source of the leak,” Marissa said, trying to project calm. “If we can fix it, we’ll be okay. Luka, you and Nadine take the lower deck. Marcus, you and Jane stay up here and monitor the systems. I’ll check the engine room.”
Nadine, the sub’s medic, nodded, her face set in a determined expression. “Let’s move quickly. Every second counts.”
The crew split up, moving with purpose through the narrow passageways of the sub. The walls felt like they were closing in, the darkness outside pressing against the thin metal shell that separated them from the crushing depths. As Marissa descended into the lower levels, she could feel the weight of the ocean above them, a constant reminder of how precarious their situation was.
In the engine room, the hum of machinery was louder, almost deafening. Marissa scanned the pipes and valves, looking for any sign of damage. Her flashlight beam flickered as it passed over the metal surfaces, revealing nothing out of the ordinary. But the oxygen levels were still dropping.
Back in the control room, Marcus and Jane were frantically going over the system diagnostics. “There’s no sign of a breach,” Jane said, her fingers flying over the keyboard. “All external sensors are reading normal.”
“Then where’s the air going?” Marcus muttered, his brow furrowed in concentration. “It’s like it’s just…vanishing.”
As if on cue, the sub shuddered, a low groan reverberating through the hull. Everyone froze, the sound of their own breathing suddenly louder, more desperate.
“Captain,” Luka’s voice crackled over the intercom, “we’ve got a major problem. I think I found the leak, but it’s not just a crack in the hull. It’s worse.”
Marissa’s grip tightened on the railing. “How much worse?”
“The leak is in the main oxygen tank. It’s not just a small hole, it’s a fracture. We can’t patch it with the materials we have on board. We’re losing air fast, and there’s nothing we can do to stop it.”
For a moment, the only sound was the steady hiss of escaping oxygen, like a clock counting down their remaining time. Marissa felt the weight of responsibility pressing down on her. She was the captain, the one everyone looked to for answers. But right now, she had none.
“Can we transfer the remaining oxygen to the backup tank?” she asked, grasping at straws.
“We can try,” Luka replied, “but it won’t buy us much time. Maybe an extra hour, if we’re lucky.”
“Do it,” Marissa ordered. “We need every minute we can get.”
As Luka and Nadine worked on the transfer, the rest of the crew reconvened in the control room. The tension was suffocating, even more so than the dwindling air supply.
“We need a plan,” Jane said, her voice trembling. “We can’t just sit here and wait to die.”
“I’m open to suggestions,” Marissa replied, her mind racing. “But we’re too deep to make a quick ascent. The pressure would kill us before we ran out of air.”
“What about signaling for help?” Marcus suggested. “Maybe we can get a message out, let them know we’re in trouble.”
“It’s worth a shot,” Marissa agreed. “Jane, send a distress signal. Use the emergency frequencies.”
Jane nodded and began typing furiously, her hands shaking slightly. The others watched in silence, the weight of their predicament hanging over them like a dark cloud. Minutes passed, each one more agonizing than the last.
Finally, Jane looked up, her face ashen. “No response. The signal’s not strong enough to reach the surface from this depth.”
A heavy silence settled over the room. They were alone, miles beneath the ocean, with no one coming to save them. The reality of their situation was sinking in, and with it, a cold, creeping dread.
“We need to stay calm,” Marissa said, trying to keep her voice steady. “We still have time. There has to be a way out of this.”
But as she spoke, she knew that time was running out—faster than any of them could imagine. And with every breath, the chances of survival slipped further away, like the elusive currents outside the sub, dragging them deeper into the abyss.
[Part 2 of 4]
The dim lights inside Deep Reach flickered, casting eerie shadows on the faces of the crew. Each member stared at the walls as if they might reveal a hidden escape, but all they found were the same cold, unyielding surfaces that separated them from the crushing depths beyond.
The oxygen levels continued to drop, the digital display ticking down like a timer on a bomb. Luka and Nadine finished transferring the remaining air to the backup tank, but the relief was short-lived—just as Luka had predicted, it only bought them an extra hour.
Marissa stood at the center of the control room, her mind racing through every possible scenario. They were trapped in a steel coffin at the bottom of the ocean, with limited resources and no way to call for help. And now, even the air they breathed was a luxury they couldn’t afford.
“We have to consider the possibility,” Marissa began, her voice heavy with the burden of command, “that we might not make it out of here.”
Nadine, always the optimist, shook her head. “No, there has to be something we’re missing. We’ve been in tough situations before, Marissa. We always find a way out.”
“This isn’t like before,” Marcus said quietly. “We’ve never faced anything like this. Not with this little time.”
“Arguing won’t solve anything,” Luka interjected, his voice firm. “We need to conserve energy and oxygen. No more unnecessary movements, no more talking unless it’s critical.”
Jane, who had been uncharacteristically quiet, spoke up. “There’s one thing we haven’t considered yet.”
All eyes turned to her, a flicker of hope igniting in the room.
“There’s a way to extend our oxygen supply, but… it’s not exactly ideal,” she continued, her voice faltering.
“What is it?” Marissa asked, her gaze intense.
“We could—” Jane hesitated, the words catching in her throat. “We could put some of us into induced hypothermia. It would slow down our metabolism, reduce our oxygen consumption.”
The suggestion hung in the air, chilling everyone more than the thought of freezing water outside the sub.
“Are you serious?” Marcus asked, incredulous. “You want to freeze us to death?”
“No,” Jane replied quickly. “It’s not about freezing to death. It’s about buying time. If a few of us go into a controlled state of hypothermia, the rest will have more air to breathe. It’s temporary, just until we figure out a real solution.”
“But it’s dangerous,” Luka said. “If we can’t reverse it properly…”
“We’ll die anyway,” Jane finished for him, the harsh reality unspoken until now.
Marissa took a deep breath, the weight of the decision pressing down on her. “How many would need to go under?”
Jane did some quick calculations. “Two, maybe three. It could give us an extra couple of hours.”
“And the risks?” Nadine asked, her medical expertise coming into play.
“Hypothermia can lead to cardiac arrest, brain damage, even death if not managed correctly,” Jane admitted. “But if we do it carefully, we might be able to avoid the worst. We’d need to monitor vitals constantly, and it would be up to the remaining crew to make sure the others are brought back safely.”
The room fell silent again. Everyone knew the risks. But they also knew that without doing something drastic, they were all going to suffocate before help could even think about reaching them.
“I’ll do it,” Marcus said, breaking the silence.
Marissa turned to him, surprise and concern in her eyes. “You don’t have to—”
“Yes, I do,” Marcus interrupted, his voice resolute. “I’m the youngest and in the best shape here. If anyone’s going to survive hypothermia, it should be me.”
Jane nodded slowly. “He’s right. And I’ll go under too.”
Marissa shook her head. “Jane, we need you awake to monitor the rest of us. We can’t risk losing our medic.”
Jane hesitated, then nodded in reluctant agreement. “Then it’ll have to be Marcus and one other.”
“I’ll do it,” Luka volunteered. “Nadine, you and Marissa need to stay alert. I know the systems inside and out; if anyone’s going to keep the sub running, it’s you two.”
The decision was made quickly, but not easily. Nadine prepared the makeshift hypothermia station, gathering the limited supplies they had on board. There was no turning back now.
As Luka and Marcus lay down in the small, makeshift space Nadine had set up, the reality of what they were about to do hit them all. The two men would be willingly lowering their body temperatures to dangerous levels, hoping it would keep them alive long enough to see rescue or find another way out.
“We’ll monitor you both closely,” Jane assured them, though the worry in her eyes was clear.
“Just… bring us back, okay?” Marcus said, forcing a smile.
Marissa squeezed his hand, a rare moment of vulnerability showing through her usually stoic exterior. “We will.”
Nadine administered the sedative that would help the men slip into unconsciousness. The temperature in the small compartment was slowly lowered, inching closer to the deadly range. Marissa, Jane, and Nadine watched the monitors closely, tracking every vital sign, every breath.
As the minutes passed, Marcus and Luka’s breathing slowed, their bodies shutting down non-essential functions to conserve what little oxygen remained. The hum of the sub, once a comforting background noise, now seemed ominous, like the ticking of a clock winding down.
The hours stretched on, and the atmosphere in the sub grew more oppressive. Even with the reduced oxygen consumption, the air was still thinning. Every breath felt heavier, more labored.
“How much time do we have left?” Marissa asked quietly, her eyes never leaving the monitors.
“Maybe three hours,” Jane replied, her voice strained. “It’s not enough.”
Marissa nodded, her expression grim. “Then we need to think of something else.”
They were running out of options, and time was slipping through their fingers like grains of sand. The pressure outside the sub was immense, but it was nothing compared to the pressure within—the knowledge that they were likely living their last moments.
As Marissa stood there, staring at the two unconscious men who had entrusted her with their lives, a thought struck her—a desperate, dangerous idea.
“What if we… what if we tried to ascend faster?” she suggested, her voice barely above a whisper.
Jane looked at her in shock. “Are you crazy? The rapid change in pressure could kill us instantly.”
“I know,” Marissa said, her mind racing. “But if we ascend slowly, we’ll run out of air before we reach the surface. If we ascend quickly, there’s a chance—just a chance—that we might make it before the pressure crushes us.”
“It’s a huge risk,” Nadine said, her voice laced with fear. “We could all die.”
“We’re already dying,” Marissa countered, the desperation clear in her eyes. “This might be our only shot.”
Jane and Nadine exchanged a look, the gravity of the situation weighing heavily on them. It was a gamble—one that could either save them or seal their fate.
“Do it,” Jane said finally, her voice trembling. “Do it now, before we lose our nerve.”
Marissa didn’t hesitate. She moved to the control panel, her fingers flying over the buttons as she prepared the sub for an emergency ascent. The engines roared to life, louder than ever before, as the sub began its rapid climb toward the surface.
The pressure inside the cabin increased almost immediately, a crushing force that pressed down on their chests, making it even harder to breathe. The hull creaked ominously, the metal groaning under the strain.
“Hold on!” Marissa shouted, her knuckles white as she gripped the controls.
The ascent was brutal, the sub shaking violently as it sped toward the surface. The pressure was unbearable, the air in the cabin thin and stale. Marissa could feel her vision darkening at the edges, the lack of oxygen taking its toll.
But still, she held on, her focus unwavering. They were so close—so close to the surface, to safety, to life.
The sub shuddered again, more violently this time, and the lights flickered before plunging them into darkness. The engines sputtered, the roar of the ascent fading to a deafening silence.
For a moment, everything was still. Then, with a final, earth-shaking groan, the sub’s hull gave way. The pressure was too much. Marissa barely had time to register what was happening before the world collapsed around her, a sudden, horrifying rush of water flooding the cabin, cold and merciless.
In the blackness, there was only the sound of rushing water, the last gasp of the sub as it was torn apart by the unforgiving depths. Marissa’s last thought was of the surface, so close yet so far, as the darkness swallowed her whole.
[Part 3 of 4]
The world was an all-consuming black void as Marissa was swept into the icy embrace of the ocean. The cold was paralyzing, her body immediately stiffening as the frigid water surged into the cabin, drowning out all sound and thought. She fought instinctively, her lungs burning for air, but there was none to be found—only water, thick and unyielding, filling her mouth and nose as she struggled to stay conscious.
Somewhere in the chaos, Marissa’s survival instincts kicked in. She forced herself to focus, to fight against the primal panic threatening to overwhelm her. Reaching out blindly, her fingers brushed against a piece of debris—a twisted, jagged shard of the sub’s hull. She pulled herself toward it, using the wreckage as an anchor in the dark torrent, trying to orient herself in the void.
For a moment, the pressure was overwhelming, a crushing force squeezing her from all sides. But then, miraculously, the pressure began to ease. Marissa realized she was being propelled upward, carried by the current created by the sudden breach in the sub’s hull. It was as if the ocean itself was pushing her toward the surface, a final act of mercy from the depths that had so nearly claimed her.
Her vision dimmed as she ascended, the cold and the lack of oxygen gnawing away at her consciousness. But she clung to the sliver of hope that she might make it—might break through the darkness and reach the surface before the blackness consumed her entirely.
And then, just as her strength was fading, there was light. Faint at first, a distant glow that grew brighter and brighter until it was all around her, piercing through the darkness like a beacon. Marissa’s heart surged with a mixture of relief and disbelief. She was close—so close to the surface.
With one last burst of energy, she kicked upward, breaking through the surface of the water with a gasp. The cold air stung her lungs, but it was a welcome pain—a sign that she was still alive. She coughed and sputtered, gulping in the precious oxygen as she blinked against the harsh light.
The surface. She had made it.
But the relief was short-lived. As Marissa treaded water, struggling to keep her head above the waves, she realized she was completely alone. The sub was gone, swallowed by the ocean, and with it, her crew—her friends.
“No,” Marissa gasped, her voice hoarse and broken. She twisted in the water, searching the horizon for any sign of life, but there was nothing. Just the endless expanse of ocean stretching in every direction, a cold, indifferent void.
“Luka! Marcus!” she shouted, her voice carrying weakly over the water. “Nadine! Jane!”
No answer came. The waves lapped at her, pulling her this way and that as if the ocean were mocking her desperation. Marissa’s mind raced, grasping for any hope, any possibility that someone else had survived. But the silence was deafening, the water around her eerily still.
And then, she saw it—a dark shape bobbing in the water a few meters away. Her heart leapt as she swam toward it, praying it was one of her crew, that they had somehow made it to the surface as she had. But as she drew closer, her heart sank.
It was Luka.
He floated face-down in the water, his body limp and lifeless. Marissa felt a sob rise in her throat, but she forced it down, reaching out to turn him over. His eyes were closed, his face pale and serene, as if he were merely sleeping.
“No, no, no…” Marissa whispered, shaking his shoulders. “Luka, wake up. Please, wake up.”
But he didn’t stir. The hypothermia had claimed him before he ever had a chance to fight for survival. Marissa felt tears welling up in her eyes, mixing with the saltwater that clung to her face. She had promised to bring them back, to save them, but now Luka was gone. And with him, a piece of Marissa’s resolve crumbled.
She let him go, his body slipping beneath the waves as she backed away, her mind reeling with the horror of it all. She was alone in the middle of the ocean, miles from the nearest land, with no way to contact anyone. The vastness of the sea stretched around her, an unending abyss that threatened to swallow her whole.
But then, out of the corner of her eye, she saw something else—a flash of orange against the blue. It was the emergency buoy, designed to float to the surface in the event of a catastrophic failure. It was meant to signal for help, a last-ditch effort to alert anyone within range that the sub was in distress.
It was her only hope now.
Summoning what little strength she had left, Marissa swam toward the buoy. Every stroke was a struggle, her muscles aching, her limbs heavy with exhaustion. But she pushed through the pain, driven by the knowledge that this was her last chance at survival.
Reaching the buoy, Marissa clung to it, panting heavily as she fumbled with the release mechanism. The beacon was already flashing, its signal weak but steady—a tiny pulse of light in the vast darkness. She could only hope that someone, somewhere, would see it.
The minutes dragged by, each one an eternity as Marissa waited, her heart pounding in her chest. The cold was seeping into her bones, and she could feel the hypothermia creeping up on her, just as it had with Luka. Her vision blurred, her thoughts growing fuzzy as the cold took hold.
But she couldn’t give up. Not now. Not when there was still a chance.
Just when Marissa was on the verge of collapsing into unconsciousness, she heard it—a faint sound, barely audible over the crashing waves. It was distant at first, a low hum that gradually grew louder, more distinct.
A helicopter.
Marissa’s heart leapt, and she forced herself to look up, squinting against the bright sky. There, far in the distance, she could see it—a dark shape moving across the horizon, growing larger as it approached. She waved her arms weakly, trying to signal them, but her movements were sluggish, her strength nearly gone.
The helicopter circled overhead, its searchlight sweeping across the water. For a moment, Marissa feared they wouldn’t see her—that they would pass by, unaware of the lone survivor clinging to life below. But then, the light caught on the buoy, and the helicopter banked sharply, heading straight for her.
Relief washed over Marissa as the helicopter descended, the downdraft from the rotors sending ripples across the water. A rescue diver was lowered into the water, moving toward her with practiced ease. Marissa tried to speak, to call out to him, but the words caught in her throat, choked by exhaustion and emotion.
The diver reached her, his strong hands gripping her arms as he secured her to the harness. “You’re going to be okay,” he shouted over the roar of the helicopter. “We’ve got you.”
Marissa nodded weakly, the last of her strength ebbing away as the harness tightened around her. She felt herself being lifted from the water, the world tilting as she was hoisted into the air. The cold, dark ocean receded below her, replaced by the warmth of the helicopter’s cabin.
As the crew pulled her inside, wrapping her in a thermal blanket, Marissa’s mind drifted, the edges of her consciousness fading. She was safe—rescued from the depths. But as the darkness closed in, one thought lingered in her mind:
What had they left behind in the abyss?
[Part 4 of 4]
The steady thrum of the helicopter’s rotors was a distant, soothing hum as Marissa drifted in and out of consciousness. The warmth of the thermal blanket was a stark contrast to the bone-chilling cold she’d just escaped, but it couldn’t thaw the icy dread that still gripped her heart. She was alive, but the nightmare wasn’t over.
“Hang in there, Captain,” one of the rescue crew urged as he adjusted her oxygen mask, his voice muffled by the haze that clouded her thoughts. She could barely muster the strength to nod.
The helicopter banked sharply, and Marissa could feel the shift as they changed course, heading back toward the coast. She closed her eyes, willing herself to stay conscious, but her body was exhausted, drained by the ordeal. Every breath was a battle, the air entering her lungs feeling thick and heavy.
Through the fog in her mind, a single, piercing thought broke through: The others.
Marissa tried to sit up, her muscles protesting with every movement. “Luka… Marcus… the crew…” she rasped, her voice barely a whisper.
“Take it easy,” the medic soothed, gently pushing her back down. “We’ll do everything we can.”
Marissa’s heart ached at his words—words meant to comfort, but devoid of any real hope. She knew, deep down, that the chances of finding anyone else alive were slim. The sub had been torn apart by the pressure, the ocean claiming it as its own. And with it, the lives of those she had sworn to protect.
A tear slipped down Marissa’s cheek, unnoticed by the crew as they worked to stabilize her. The guilt was overwhelming, a crushing weight on her chest. She had made the call to ascend, a desperate gamble that had only saved her life. The others… they had paid the price.
She wanted to scream, to cry out in anger and grief, but all that came was a weak, shuddering breath. The world around her blurred, the edges of her vision darkening once again.
No. Marissa fought against the encroaching darkness, forcing her mind to stay focused. She had to know—had to find out what had really happened down there, and if there was any chance, any shred of hope left for her crew.
As the helicopter raced toward land, Marissa’s thoughts drifted back to the moments before the breach, replaying them over and over in her mind. Something had been wrong—something more than just a simple oxygen leak. The sudden collapse, the way the hull had given way so quickly… it didn’t make sense.
But she was too tired, too weak to piece it all together. Her eyelids grew heavy, the soothing rhythm of the helicopter lulling her into a fitful sleep.
When Marissa awoke, she was in a hospital bed, the sterile smell of antiseptic and the soft beeping of machines the first things she noticed. She blinked, disoriented, her mind struggling to catch up with her surroundings.
“Captain Quinn?”
The voice was familiar, calm, and authoritative. Marissa turned her head to see a man in a dark uniform standing beside her bed, his expression unreadable. He held a clipboard in one hand, a pen in the other, as if he were ready to take down every word she said.
“I’m Commander Harris,” he introduced himself, his tone respectful but firm. “I’ve been assigned to debrief you on the events that occurred during your mission.”
“Debrief…” Marissa’s voice was hoarse, her throat dry. She reached for the cup of water on the bedside table, her hand shaking slightly as she brought it to her lips. The cool liquid did little to ease the burning in her chest.
“I know this is difficult,” Harris said, his gaze steady, “but we need to understand exactly what happened down there. Can you tell me what you remember?”
Marissa closed her eyes, the memories flooding back with brutal clarity. The descent, the discovery of the oxygen leak, the frantic scramble to save themselves. The terror of the final moments, the crushing pressure, the darkness.
“I… I tried to save them,” she whispered, her voice cracking. “We tried everything, but the sub… it just… it just…”
“I understand,” Harris said softly, his expression softening for a moment. “But there’s something else we need to discuss.”
Marissa’s heart skipped a beat. The way he said it—so carefully, so deliberately—set off alarm bells in her mind. She forced herself to meet his gaze, her eyes narrowing.
“What is it?” she asked, her voice stronger now, laced with suspicion.
Harris hesitated, his pen tapping against the clipboard. “We’ve recovered some of the wreckage,” he began, choosing his words carefully. “And we’ve found evidence that suggests the oxygen leak may not have been a simple mechanical failure.”
Marissa’s blood ran cold. “What do you mean?”
“There are signs of deliberate sabotage,” Harris continued, his voice steady. “The oxygen tank’s fracture wasn’t due to wear and tear—it was caused by an external force. Someone, or something, caused it to fail.”
For a moment, Marissa couldn’t process what he was saying. Sabotage? It didn’t make any sense. They were a trusted crew, experienced and loyal. Why would anyone want to sabotage the mission?
“Are you saying someone on my crew…?” Her voice trailed off, unable to finish the thought.
“We don’t know for certain,” Harris replied, his tone cautious. “But we need to explore every possibility. Did you notice anything unusual during the mission? Any tensions among the crew? Anything that seemed out of place?”
Marissa’s mind raced, trying to recall every detail, every interaction. But the stress, the fear, and the sheer exhaustion had clouded her memory. Had there been something she missed? Some sign that one of her crew members had been planning something… sinister?
“No,” she finally said, her voice barely above a whisper. “I didn’t notice anything. We were all focused on the mission.”
Harris nodded, his expression grave. “We’ll be conducting a full investigation. In the meantime, I want you to rest and recover. We may need to speak with you again once more information comes to light.”
Marissa nodded numbly, her mind reeling from the revelation. Sabotage. It was a word that changed everything, casting a dark shadow over the tragedy that had already unfolded.
As Harris turned to leave, Marissa felt a surge of determination rise within her. “Commander,” she called out, her voice firm.
Harris paused, turning back to face her. “Yes, Captain?”
“When you find out who did this… I want to know,” Marissa said, her eyes blazing with resolve. “I want to know why.”
Harris met her gaze, his expression unreadable. “You have my word, Captain. We’ll find the truth.”
With that, he left the room, the door clicking shut behind him.
Marissa lay back against the pillows, her mind racing with a thousand questions. Who had sabotaged the mission? And why? What could they have possibly gained from such a horrifying act?
But one thing was certain: this wasn’t over. Marissa had survived the abyss, but the true danger—the true enemy—was still out there, hidden in the shadows.
And she would stop at nothing to find them.
Epilogue
Weeks later, as Marissa stood on the rocky shore overlooking the ocean, she thought of her crew—the brave men and women who had trusted her, who had given everything in the face of unimaginable terror. Luka, Marcus, Nadine, Jane. Their faces haunted her dreams, their final moments replaying in her mind like a broken record.
She had been cleared of any wrongdoing in the investigation, but that didn’t ease the burden of guilt she carried. The official report had been inconclusive—the evidence of sabotage was there, but the perpetrator remained unknown, their motives a mystery.
Marissa’s superiors had offered her a desk job, a way to keep her close to the investigation while sparing her from further danger. But she had declined. She couldn’t stay on land, not when the answers she sought were buried deep beneath the waves.
As she watched the sun sink below the horizon, casting the ocean in hues of gold and crimson, Marissa made a silent vow. She would return to the depths, she would find the truth, and she would make those responsible pay for what they had done.
The sea had taken so much from her, but it had also given her something in return—a purpose, a mission.
And she would not rest until it was complete.
