The rain came in sheets, hammering against the windows of the private jet.
Inside, everything sparkled gold details, soft leather seats, champagne half-finished yet Ariana Cole couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong.
The turbulence had been small at first.
Then came the sharp drop. The kind that made her stomach twist and her heart slam against her ribs.
"Miss Cole, please fasten your seatbelt," the pilot called through the intercom. His voice was tight.
Ariana obeyed, glancing out the window. Lightning split the sky, turning the clouds into jagged ghosts.
She closed her eyes, clutching the locket around her neck her mother's.
It was supposed to be a simple trip, a quiet getaway from the chaos of her father's empire. She never imagined it would end like this.
"Altitude dropping engine failure" The pilot's voice cut off in static.
The jet lurched violently.
Glasses shattered. The lights flickered. A scream tore from Ariana's throat as gravity vanished and the world spun into chaos.
Her vision blurred metal shrieked, the wing ripped apart, and the sound of the ocean roared below.
She thought of her father's last words to her: "You have everything, Ariana. Don't ever get lost."
And as the plane plunged into darkness, she whispered,
"I think I already am."
Then impact.
A blinding flash.
Silence.