The warm sun beamed down on the shore as I made my way across the beach, my gaze locked onto Aonung and his friends. They were laughing, their voices carrying over the sound of the waves. But something felt off.
Lo'ak had been with them earlier, but now he was nowhere to be seen.
Something in my gut twisted.
"Where's Lo'ak?" I demanded, my voice sharper than I intended.
Aonung stiffened, his usually smug expression faltering for a brief second. His hesitation was all I needed to confirm that something was wrong.
One of his friends, an idiot with more bravado than brains, chuckled. "Oh, don't worry. He's having fun in the reef."
The laughter that followed made my blood boil.
I muttered a string of profanities under my breath, my hands already reaching for the spear that one of Aonung's ugly friends had rested in the sand. As soon as my fingers wrapped around it, the boy protested, stepping forward.
"Hey! That's mine!" he whined.
I growled low in my throat, my grip tightening. "Then maybe you should've used it to help him instead of being a coward."
Aonung stepped between us, his hands raised in a silent plea for me to let it go. "Leave it," he told his friend firmly, his tone protective.
I shot him a glare before storming off. I let out a sharp whistle, calling for my Ilu. Within moments, the sleek creature swam up to the shore, waiting patiently for me to climb on.
Aonung grabbed my wrist before I could mount. "Let me come with you," he said softly.
I yanked my arm free. "Haven't you done enough?"
Without another word, I dove into the water, the coolness enveloping me as I pushed forward. The reef was vast, but I knew where they would've left Lo'ak—it was a dangerous area, one that none of them would dare face alone.
It didn't take long before I spotted him, his small frame struggling against the swirling current. But worse than that, I saw the massive Akula circling him, its sharp teeth glinting even through the murky depths.
Lo'ak spotted me, his eyes wide with fear.
"Hold on!" I yelled, pushing my Ilu forward at full speed.
The creature noticed me now, shifting its focus. It lunged.
Pain exploded across my side as its teeth sank into me, ripping through my flesh. I screamed but held on, struggling to keep my grip on my Ilu.
"Y/N!" Lo'ak shouted, horrified. He reached for his belt, fumbling for his weapon before realizing he had none.
My vision blurred from the pain, but I refused to let this end here. "Lo'ak!" I gasped. "The spear!"
With quick thinking, he grabbed the spear strapped to his Ilu's side and threw it to me. I caught it just as the Akula came for me again.
I aimed, using the last of my strength to thrust the spear forward. The tip sank deep into the beast's skull, and it let out a gurgled cry before sinking into the depths of the ocean.
For a moment, everything was still.
Then, the water turned red.
Lo'ak reached me just as I started slipping from my Ilu. "Stay with me!" he pleaded, wrapping an arm around me and guiding me to the surface.
I could hear the distant sounds of warriors approaching, their Ilu slicing through the water. They reached us quickly, their eyes widening in shock as they took in the scene—the dead Akula, the blood in the water, my fading consciousness.
"We need to get her back, now!" one of them barked.
I was barely aware of being lifted onto an Ilu, my body pressed against the strong back of one of the warriors. My vision swayed, the world tilting in and out of focus.
The last thing I saw before the darkness took over was Aonung's face, his blue eyes filled with something I had never seen before.
I drifted in and out of consciousness, vague murmurs and touches pulling me back to the surface before I slipped away again. Each time I came to, Aonung was there, his hands on mine, his voice whispering things I couldn't quite make sense of.
When I finally woke properly, the pain was dull but manageable. I blinked a few times, adjusting to the soft light of the healing hut.
Lo'ak was sitting beside me, his face pale with worry. "You're awake!" he breathed in relief.
I groaned, attempting to sit up, but a warm hand gently pushed me back down.
"Don't move too fast," Aonung murmured.
I turned to look at him. He was sitting on my other side, dark circles under his eyes, his usual cocky demeanor replaced with something much softer.
Lo'ak cleared his throat. "I'll, uh, give you two a moment." He slipped out, leaving us alone.
Aonung sighed, running a hand down his face. "You scared me."
"You should be scared of me," I joked weakly. "I killed an Akula."
He let out a choked laugh before shaking his head. "I should've gone after you. I should've never let you go alone."
I tilted my head. "You care?"
His eyes met mine, something deep and vulnerable shining through. "More than you know." He reached out, brushing a strand of hair from my face. "I thought I was losing you. And it made me realize—I can't lose you. I don't want to."
My heart pounded. "Aonung—"
"I like you," he admitted, his voice raw. "I've liked you for a long time. And I was too stupid to tell you."
I smiled despite the pain, my fingers reaching for his. "You are stupid."
His lips twitched. "But?"
"But... I like you too."
Relief flooded his expression, and before I could say anything else, he leaned in, pressing a gentle kiss to my forehead.
"You're never doing something that reckless again," he murmured against my skin.
I smirked. "We'll see."

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