The scream suddenly spread across the entire ship.
"Water is coming in!"
"Everyone get to the top!"
"Quick… hurry!"
People were running, stumbling, crying—everything mixed together into a strange chaos.
Arian stood frozen.
His eyes were fixed on only one place—Neela.
Neela tightly grabbed his hand.
"Stay with me,"
she said, her voice trembling,
"no matter what happens, don't let go."
Arian nodded.
The ship shook again—this time so hard that many people fell to the ground.
In the distance, water could be seen rising from the lower deck.
It was as if the river was slowly swallowing them.
"How did this happen?"
Arian shouted.
Neela didn't answer.
That old fear had returned to her eyes—the one Arian had glimpsed last night.
"We need to go up,"
Neela said.
They started running.
People were everywhere—some pushing to survive, some searching for their loved ones, some just standing in shock.
A small child was crying, held tightly by his mother.
An old man kept saying, "It's nothing… it's nothing…"—but even his own voice didn't believe it.
Arian's chest felt heavy.
He had never seen so much fear, so much panic all at once.
Suddenly—
A strong удар.
The ship tilted to one side.
Many people screamed and fell.
Neela's hand almost slipped, but Arian held on tightly.
"I'm here!"
he shouted.
Neela looked at him.
There was gratitude in her eyes… but also something more—a strange sadness, as if she already knew this grip wouldn't last long.
They finally reached the upper deck.
But what they saw there was even more terrifying.
The lifeboats were being lowered.
People were rushing to get on.
No one recognized anyone—everyone just wanted to survive.
"We need to find a boat,"
Arian said.
Neela slowly shook her head.
But she didn't move.
"You go,"
she said softly.
Arian looked at her in shock.
"What are you saying?"
"You get on a boat,"
Neela said,
"you live."
"Then what about you?"
Arian's voice trembled.
Neela smiled—a calm but broken smile.
"I'm not meant to survive so easily."
Arian shouted in anger and pain,
"Stop saying these things! We'll go together!"
Neela stepped closer.
Her eyes were shimmering with tears.
"You don't understand,"
she whispered,
"this isn't a story where everyone survives."
The air grew heavy.
Arian held her shoulders and said,
"I won't leave you. No matter what, we stay together."
Neela looked at him for a moment.
Then very softly, she said—
"Then promise me… you won't let go until the end."
Arian didn't hesitate.
"I promise."
Neela held his hand tightly.
Just then—
Another violent удар.
The ship started sinking even more.
Water had now reached the deck.
People were screaming, some falling into the water.
And in that chaos—
Arian suddenly felt something—
her hand was becoming lighter.
He looked—
Neela's hand was slowly slipping away from his.
"No… no!"
he screamed.
Neela was looking at him.
There was no fear in her eyes.
Only a strange calmness.
"Remember…"
she said,
"you will look for me."
Her hand slipped away.
And within a second—
Neela disappeared into the dark water.
Arian screamed—
but his voice was swallowed by the roar of the river.
Chaos surrounded him.
And inside him—
everything collapsed.