Offshore Waters - 2:14 AM
The explosion turned night into day.
Fire bloomed from the Daedalus's engine room in a pillar that climbed toward the sky, orange and white and so bright it hurt to look at, and the sound came half a second later as a physical force that slapped across the water and made ears ring.
Yoo hit the ocean before the shockwave reached them, his body plunging through cold water that felt like hitting concrete after the heat of the explosion, and his lungs tried to gasp but water rushed in instead of air.
Up, which way is up.
Bubbles, follow the bubbles.
He kicked with legs that barely responded and his broken fingers were useless for swimming but his other hand clawed at water until his head broke surface and he sucked in air that tasted like smoke and diesel fuel.
The boat was ten meters away with Ji-yeon pulling bodies from the water, her shadows reaching out like tentacles to grab whoever was closest, and Chen Wei surfaced beside Yoo coughing black water.
