Surviving the Waves

Chapter 15 & 16

Chapter 15: Kenji's POV

Kenji leaned back in his office chair, his eyes glazing over as he stared at the endless spreadsheets and charts in front of him. He hadn't wanted this life. Sure, the money was nice—more than nice—but working as his dad's assistant? It wasn't what he had dreamed about. He was supposed to be doing something exciting, something adventurous, not pushing papers and overseeing business deals.

His phone buzzed, breaking through his thoughts. He glanced at the screen and saw a message from Brooklyn.

Have you heard from Darius?

Kenji frowned, sitting up straight. Darius? It had been a while since they'd talked, but they were all busy now. Life moved on. Still, something about the message unsettled him.

Nope. Haven't heard from him in a while. What's going on?

He waited for the reply, his stomach twisting with unease. Darius had always been the responsible one, the guy who kept them all connected. If he wasn't responding, then something was definitely wrong.

Kenji shook his head, running a hand through his hair. He had responsibilities now—meetings, his father's empire to help run. But he couldn't shake the feeling that this was something he couldn't ignore.

Maybe it was time to reach out.

Chapter 16: Darius' POV

The research facility was cold, sterile, and far too familiar. Darius had been here for days now, thrown back into a world he had tried so hard to leave behind. The dinosaurs were here, too—contained, monitored, but still just as dangerous as the ones he had faced on Isla Nublar.

He hated this. Every moment felt like a betrayal, not just to himself, but to the promise he had made to the group—to leave the dinosaurs in the past. But his mother's condition had worsened, and the bills kept piling up. He had no choice. The money they offered him was more than enough to cover her treatment, but the price was steep. It meant diving headfirst into the very thing he had sworn to avoid.

Every day, he told himself it was temporary, just a job until his mom was well again. But deep down, he knew it wasn't that simple. Once you were in, it was hard to get out.

His phone buzzed in his pocket, but he didn't have to look at it to know who it was. Yaz, Brooklyn, Kenji—they were all worried. They had noticed his silence, and now they wanted answers.

Darius sighed, leaning back in his chair. He couldn't drag them into this. Not again.

So, for now, he would keep his secrets. It was safer that way—for everyone.