Chapter 5 The man from the sea

She bumped into one of Kael's so-called friends, a notorious rich lackey always hanging off his coattails. He glared at first, ready to curse her into the ground-until recognition struck. His lips curled into a greedy smile.

"Well, well. If it isn't Amara," he drawled, his eyes shamelessly raking over her figure. "Running away from the party? Don't worry, baby, even if Kael doesn't want you, I do. Stick with me, and I'll make sure you're spoiled."

Amara's expression didn't change. She simply brushed past him as though he were nothing more than dust in her path.

But he wasn't having it. His hand shot out, blocking her way. "Don't act so high and mighty. You're nothing now. You should be grateful I-"

Crunch.

Amara's heel came down hard on his foot. He howled, staggering back in pain.

Before he could recover, Amara had already dashed off, the sound of his curses echoing behind her.

Far from the estate now, she finally stopped, her chest heaving. Then, to her own surprise, she started laughing-free, unrestrained laughter that shook her shoulders.

Pulling something out of her grip, she stared at the leather wallet she had deftly slipped from the lackey's pocket in the scuffle.

Flipping it open, her brows arched high at the sight of crisp bills stuffed inside.

"Well, well..." she murmured, lips curving into the faintest of smirks. "Looks like fate's finally throwing me a bone."

She tucked the wallet into her dress, clutching the wine bottle tighter as she continued walking into the night-each step lighter than the last, as though she was no longer just running away, but toward something new.

She got to the side of the road and hailed a taxi and got in, she leaned back against the worn seat of the taxi, her forehead pressed lightly to the glass. The city lights blurred past her, glittering like stars that had fallen to earth. The wind rushing in through the open window tangled her hair, and for the first time in years, she felt light and free.

Even if it was only for a while.

"Drive me around," she told the driver softly when he asked for her destination. She didn't care where. As long as it wasn't home. That place wasn't a home-it was a cage, a prison made of cruel whispers and blood ties that should have protected her, not destroyed her.

After a while, she told the driver to take her to the beach. By the time the taxi slowed in front of the beach, the city had grown quiet. Amara paid him quickly, stepped out, and let her heels sink into the sand. The ocean stretched before her, silver under the moonlight, vast and eternal.

She slipped off her shoes and walked barefoot across the cool sand, the bottle of wine swinging lazily from her hand. The laughter and music from the Hayes estate seemed like a different world. Here, it was just the tide, the stars, and her breaking heart.

She found a quiet stretch of shore where no one lingered, and sat down. Tilting her head back, she drank straight from the bottle. One swallow, then another, until the world swayed around her. Her tears slipped down, mixing with her laughter, as if she couldn't decide which pain to release first.

She had nothing left. No parents. No love. No freedom. Only bruises on her skin and a hollow ache in her chest.

"Maybe... it's time," she whispered, staring into the restless waves.

If her parents were gone, maybe she should join them. Maybe the ocean would be kinder than the people she lived with.

With that thought, Amara staggered to her feet, dropped the empty bottle into the sand, and stepped into the water. Cold waves licked at her ankles, then her knees, then her waist. She didn't stop. She walked deeper, until the ocean embraced her fully.

Her bruised body ached. Her lungs burned as water pushed into her throat. Darkness curled at the edges of her vision-

Then she saw a dark figure

Through the water's blur, she saw a shadow sinking, a body drifting down like a fallen star.

Her instincts screamed. In a rush of strength she didn't know she had, Amara dove forward, dragging him with her weak arms until they broke the surface. She coughed violently, kicking against the current until her knees hit sand. Somehow, she pulled him to the shore and laid him flat on the ground.

"Damn it," she cursed, chest heaving. He was bleeding. His abdomen was cut, blood mingling with seawater. His face was pale, lips tinged blue.

Amara's trembling hands brushed back his dark hair clinging to his forehead, and for a moment, her heart stopped.

He wasn't just handsome. He was... otherworldly. Strong, sharp features sculpted like marble, lashes long even in unconsciousness. Even drenched, battered, and half-dead, he looked like some fallen god thrown into mortal hands.

She pressed her lips together, then without hesitation bent over him, giving him her breath. Her lips sealed over his, pushing life into him again and again.

"Don't you dare die on me," she panted between attempts, her voice breaking. "You hear me? Not here. Not now!"

Her vision blurred with tears. Her arms shook. "Damn it! Why you? Why do I have to find you when I was in the middle of ending everything?"

At last, he coughed-a harsh, broken sound. Water spilled from his lips. Relief shattered through her, and she collapsed beside him, pressing a trembling hand to her pounding chest.

When she dared to look again, she almost forgot to breathe.

Moonlight washed over him, illuminating his sharp jawline, the sculpted chest exposed beneath his half-open shirt, the trail of scars across his pale skin. Her eyes widened, and before she could stop herself, she whispered in awe:

"Did I just rescue a sea god...?"

Her hand absentmindedly touched her lips. She had just lost her first kiss to a stranger. But looking at his devastatingly handsome face, she thought bitterly, At least it wasn't wasted.

Suddenly, his hand shot up, gripping her wrist with startling strength.

Amara gasped. "Y-you're hurting me-!"

He groaned, brows furrowed, as if fighting his own darkness. His grip tightened, desperate, before finally loosening again.

She staggered back, clutching her wrist. Her heart raced. She had no phone. No way to call for help. What could she do?

Then the sound of a helicopter's blades thundered above. A light swept over the beach, cutting through the night.

Panic jolted her.

She scrambled to her feet, backing away. "Shoot... I can't get involved in this, I don't wanna get in any form of trouble" she muttered.

Amara knelt quickly, slipping the wallet she had earlier into the pocket of his jacket. "Mr. Sea God, I've done what I can. Please... live."

Her voice wavered. She hesitated, drinking in his face one last time. Then she turned and ran, her figure vanishing into the night.

Behind her, the man she had saved stirred faintly, his lashes fluttering open for a second. His gaze caught the shadow of her fleeing figure.

A faint, dangerous but weak smile tugged his lips even as pain kept him down.

The woman who dared to save me... Do you think you can run from me?

Not in this lifetime.