The party took refuge in an air pocket chamber. Haruka leaned against a wall, clutching her knees.
Soren crouched beside her. "You held up well back there."
"I almost drowned," she whispered.
His grin softened. "But you didn't. You're stronger than you think."
Silence settled between them, thick and charged.
"You know…" Soren began, voice low. "If we make it out of this, I want to… I mean, I've been stuck here so long I forgot what it's like to care about someone. But you—you remind me there's still something worth fighting for."
Haruka's breath caught. "Soren, I—"
The water outside rippled violently.
"Something's coming," Mirelle warned.