Far beneath the ravine, a boy floated in silence. His body hung in the water, arms drifting out to the sides, legs loose and still.
His clothes were torn, and trails of blood had long faded into the dark. His face was calm, too calm for someone unconscious.
The cold pressed in from every direction, but it didn't seem to bother him.
Rhian twitched.
His fingers curled, and his body jolted slightly like something inside finally restarted.
His eyes opened all at once, wide and alert. Bubbles slipped from his mouth, but there was no panic. No wild struggle for air.
He didn't drown.
Instead, he blinked and stared ahead, confused but calm. His brain was catching up. He tried to inhale, but there was no choking.
His chest worked like normal, and he realized he could breathe. The water was going in, cleanly and evenly. It didn't sting or burn.
[Aquatic Adaptation] had activated.
