[Red Line Transit Hub, Sector 4 Sublevel, Year 3 Post-Collapse, 02:27 AM]
The transition from air to water was completely seamless.
That was honestly the strangest part of it. 1
Ren broke the surface and plunged into the black depths, and his chest hitched immediately, every remnant of human biology in his brain firing at once, screaming that he was about to inhale freezing toxic water and die exactly like the soldiers had. His lungs braced for the spasm.
Nothing came.
The freezing water rushed into his nose and throat and Aquatic Adaptation just took over. Lungs processed the dissolved oxygen in the stagnant water like it was completely routine. The bitter cold that should have induced hypothermia in minutes registered as maybe a cool autumn breeze against his hardened grey skin. 2
He was fully submerged, breathing, and weirdly fine about it.
'Alright then.'
He clicked on the waterproof flashlight. The harsh narrow beam cut into the dark and revealed a drowned world.
