Chapter 56
Sophia Sullivan tried to picture it.
Her imagination offered only vague images.
But the instructor's words did help her relax.
The afternoon sun was perfect.
The water had warmed to an ideal temperature for diving.
There were two-piece and one-piece wetsuits.
Olivia Lopez chose a sexy bikini style.
Sophia picked a conservative one-piece.
Even so.
They drew plenty of attention when they emerged from the changing room.
Someone even whistled at them.
The instructor had them acclimate to the water temperature first.
"Don't be nervous."
"I'll take you to the safe zone first."
"Rescue personnel are nearby."
"Use the distress signal if anything happens."
"He will come immediately."
Sophia nodded.
Her gaze drifted to the azure sea.
A spark of anticipation shone in her eyes.
"Alright, ladies."
"Welcome to the underwater world."
"Hope you have a great time."
The instructor's hearty laugh was infectious.
A slight smile touched Sophia's lips.
She couldn't help feeling nervous as she strapped on the oxygen tank.
Olivia took her hand.
She pointed her thumb at herself.
Signaling that she was there, so no need to worry.
Sophia steadied herself.
She watched Olivia jump into the water with practiced ease.
She followed.
Her body sank slowly.
The light gradually dimmed.
Water pressure made her movements sluggish.
Olivia descended faster than her.
The current almost obscured her figure.
The instructor gave a hand signal.
Indicating they had reached fifty meters.
Sophia exhaled softly.
She began to relax and take in her surroundings.
A school of fish swam past.
A translucent jellyfish floated before her.
Like a tiny opening and closing umbrella.
She reached out to touch it.
The jellyfish instantly curled into a ball.
And vanished.
She couldn't help but smile.
Her tension melted away.
Olivia looked back and saw her lingering among the fish.
Her eyes bright, trying to catch them.
But the fish always slipped through her fingers.
Olivia swam back and took Sophia's hand.
She led her in another direction.
Soon.
A vibrant coral reef came into view.
Like a colorful little mountain.
The coral formations seemed endless.
Tropical fish darted and played among them.
It was beautiful, like a dream.
She finally understood how enchanting the underwater world was, just as the instructor had said.
She followed a school of fish through a coral tunnel.
While chasing a starfish.
A massive dark shadow suddenly blocked the light.
Sophia looked up.
A shark was hovering directly above.
She gasped.
The instructor said this was a safe zone.
No large creatures should be here.
She looked around frantically.
But she couldn't find Olivia or the instructor.
The shark was about to notice her.
If she didn't escape now, it was over!
Sophia turned and swam for her life.
The school of fish scattered in panic.
She gritted her teeth and glanced back.
The shark was already chasing her.
It was incredibly fast.
Coral was everywhere.
A dark hole for hiding was not far away.
She immediately changed direction and swam downward.
The shark's presence grew closer.
At the critical moment, she dodged into the hole.
Thump—
The shark crashed into the coral.
The impact shook the cave walls.
The force wrenched her arm backward.
Excruciating pain shot through her.
She tried moving her arm.
It still worked, thankfully.
She could surface once the shark left.
But within minutes.
Her oxygen suddenly grew thin.
Something was wrong.
The instructor said the tank lasted three hours.
How long had it been?
The oxygen was depleting rapidly.
The shark hadn't left.
Sophia broke into a cold sweat.
Just as she was about to give up, the shark finally swam away.
She desperately swam upward.
Making the distress signal.
Pressing the emergency button.
But there was no response.
She could only swim up with all her strength.
Her oxygen was nearly gone.
If she didn't surface now, it was over.
She didn't know how long she swam.
Her movements grew slower.
The feeling of suffocation set in.
Her limbs went weak, and her body sank.
Her eyelids grew heavy.
The surface was so close.
Just a little more to survive.
But she couldn't hold on any longer.
Tears welled up.
In the moment she gave up.
A familiar face approached from the distance.
A hand reached out for her.
"Sophia!"
"Sophia, wake up!"
Olivia dragged her onto the boat.
Quickly removed her oxygen tank.
Unzipped her wetsuit.
Air rushed into her lungs.
Sophia breathed deeply.
The next second, her lungs felt pierced by needles.
She broke into a violent coughing fit.
Choking up several mouthfuls of water.
The suffocating feeling finally faded.
She felt herself coming back to life.
"You scared me to death!"
"I thought you wouldn't wake up!"
Olivia pounded her shoulder while wiping away tears.
Sophia's voice was hoarse. "I'm okay."
"I saw your distress signal and came looking for you."
"You were already unconscious when I found you."
"My mind went completely blank."
Olivia patted her chest, relieved.
She didn't dare think about what would have happened if she'd been a second later.
Thankfully, she was safe.
Olivia hugged her, sobbing.
"I was so scared doing CPR on you."
"I was afraid you'd never wake up."
Sophia coughed lightly and laughed.
"So it was you nibbling on my mouth."
"I wondered who it was."
"You're awful—"
Olivia scolded playfully.
"How can you joke at a time like this!"