𝐃𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐖𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 (𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞!𝐚𝐮) 𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐙

CH. 31 ~ Stranded

TW: a bit of gore towards the end of the chapter, read at your own risk.

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The sound of waves crashing against the shore. The feeling of warm sand under my sensitive skin. The sun's bright rays shining down on my pale skin. It feels perfect, like a dream. One I want to stay in forever until the sharp pain that runs through my body jolts me upward. I shoot forward coughing and heaving to catch my breath. A burning pain lingers in my throat as I continuously cough up sand and water. My body feels as heavy as lead and it's not helping that I don't even remember what happened. I prop myself up on one hand and use the other to block the bright sun overhead. To my disappointment, it's not a dream which means... I'M STILL ALIVE. I touch my whole body making sure that I'm still in one piece and flex my toes to make sure they still function properly, falling back on the sand out of relief that I'm still whole. The only problem is, I don't know where I am.

Slowly, my senses begin to come back to me, and with it comes a slight aching all over my body. I look at my figure noticing the odd patches of seaweed and a dried green paste covering multiple wounds on my skin. I peel them off and notice the sticky substance it leaves on my skin but it oddly brings a form of relief to the wounds I forgot I had. They've dried up and healed a bit which means that this paste has some sort of healing property to it. The only question that scratches at the back of my head is... Who applied this paste onto my skin? I also take in my clothes, noting that they are a bit torn up but it'll have to make do so that I don't run around the whole island naked. I sit up once again and scan the sandy beach I'm on, only seeing the beach turn into a large forming of trees behind me. The shore seems to stretch on forever whichever way I look, with large rocks and other curious items decorating the sand, and not even the sand looks normal.

This beach has a pinkish tint to it. I rack my brain for any information I might have read when I remember the book on beach ecosystems I read one time. The pink tint on the beach is given to it by pieces of calcium carbonate, shells, and crushed coral reefs. The water that meets with the sand at the edge is a beautiful aqua color that transitions into a dark blue as it meets with the rest of the ocean. I stand up to search the beach for any sign of life that I can find, dragging my feet in the warm sand, even with my mild body ache, when I come across a mysterious looking figure lying on the beach a few feet away from me. As I draw closer to it, warily making sure it won't jump at me, I can start to make out a faint outline of a man's limp body, sprawled on the sand. I pull myself together and get ready for what I might see when I get closer, sucking in my breath at the sight of those familiar red streaks in the man's jet-black hair.

It's San. But how?

I study his sleeping form a bit longer before crouching down to inspect his face. He lies unconscious, the only sign of life being the rise and fall of his chest with each intake of breath. In this sleeping form he looks so soft and weak, nothing like the man I know. From his slightly ruffled hair to his mouth left slightly ajar, he looks so peaceful. The peacefulness doesn't last long sadly because soon enough, he too begins to wake up, coughing and heaving just like I did. I help him sit up because of the disoriented look in his eyes when he begins to freak out and tries to swing at me.

"San, SAN! Calm down! It's just me, Sun-Mi." He pauses, taking in my figure before scowling and pushing me away from him.

"You've got to be kidding me," he mutters under his breath before getting up with a bit of a struggle and turning to walk away from me.

"W-Wha— Hey! Wait for me!" I call after him as he limps towards the tall rock formation the protrudes over the side of the island. I follow after him until I catch-up and tug on his arm when he turns to face me with a frown.

"What?" He snaps, clearly irritated by my presence although I'm not sure why. I'm so confused right now, I don't even remember what happened, much less why he is here with me.