Aqua Terrarium (Nagi No Asukara)

Chapter Four

The late afternoon sun was beating down on my skin when I made it to the woods, my gut instinct telling me that Manaka was sure to have wandered in here seeing as Kaname and Hikari should have seen her if she fled through the main entrance.

I ran through the foliage of a forest in a hurry, my hands scraping from the thorns and branches that got tangled in my hair, skin, and clothes. Dirt covered my uniform when I slipped, my body aching everywhere as my Ena screamed for water.

"Manaka! Where are you?!" I shouted, my voice cracked and raw from shouting all afternoon.

The bell in the distance rang like a haunting melody, the timer for our departure already calling out to me.

"Just a bit more..." I begged, my Ena cracking like sand and falling away in shining little gems. My throat ached from screaming while my lungs felt like it was on fire since it was hard to breathe on land now that my Ena was beginning to break.

Any sane sea dweller would have gone back but I couldn't afford to fail everyone. Chisaki as well as Hikari would never forgive me. Kaname would even be disappointed in me and I couldn't afford to hurt him anymore than I had already done.

"Manaka!" I screamed painfully one last time, my eyes missing to spot the loose earth that caused me to tumble to the ground in surprise. My body rolled downhill until I landed on the dirt ground, my back colliding painfully on it which knocked the air out of my lungs.

I remained on the spot for a while, my body tired and barely listening to my mind that still wanted to keep searching. The sun was setting on the horizon, the wind beginning to cool while the scent of the sea wafted into the forest. From afar, I could see the sea colored in orange as if on fire, the birds' silhouettes flying towards the setting sun.

Maybe... just a little bit of rest wouldn't hurt...

"A-anyone... I have to go back..." A voice murmured not too far from me, the familiar voice jolting me back to reality as my eyes tiredly scanned for the voice.

'Manaka!' My mind screamed when my voice couldn't. I tried one more time to force my aching body to get up, my hands gripping onto a low branch as I groaned in pain when I tried to move.

"M-Manaka?!" My voice sounded hoarse when I called out to her, my eyes easily landing on the figure of Manaka that was collapsed on the ground.

Her body didn't budge from my call, worry seeping in me that she might be in a much more terrible shape than I am.

"Don't worry, Manaka. I'll get us home soon," I tried to assure us both when I collapsed on my knees next to her, my hands taking ahold of her as I tried to get us both up. Worry etched my features when I saw her Ena in a much terrible shape than mine, my initial reaction was to get her to sea ASAP.

--*--

Night had already greeted us by the time I managed to half-drag us both out into the clearing, my body failing me which caused me to drag Manaka with me to the ground. My eyes were glassy as I stared up to the starless night sky, my lungs doing its best to give me air even though it was already painful to breathe.

Just when I was so close.

"Please... Not yet..." I begged my body but my arms refused to move. My entire body was in pain, my arms and legs partially covered now by my cracked Ena.

I could already smell the sea not too far from us, just a few more steps and we can finally make it out to the water's safe embrace. Manaka was barely breathing next to me and I knew it wouldn't be long before our life would be in danger.