In the Shadows~zayn au~Completed ✅EDITING

~Chapter 64: Silent Forgiveness~

Not sure how I feel about this chapter, but I hope you guys like it! Thanks again for reading/voting/commenting. I just really enjoy seeing your reactions and knowing that you like the writing. Introverted writers can get a bit lonely ;)

Zayn's POV

A nightmare he didn't remember having came true before his eyes. He watched as the surge pulled her from the deck, but he was in motion only a moment later.

"Louis, take the wheel!" he screamed, grabbing a long rope from the deck as he ran to the side. He tied one end around his waist and tied the other to the railing, knotting it securely. And without a moment's hesitation, he dove out into the water.

The cold of the sea stole his breath, so he was puffing when his head broke the surface once more. He looked about him, searching for any glimpse of her. It was too much to hope that she was both conscious and capable of swimming. Did they teach Princesses to swim in Elysium?

He couldn't see anything but the waves, illuminated by flashes of lightning, so he submerged, keeping his eyes open for any sign of her. He had to find her. There was no other option. It didn't bear dwelling on what would happen if he didn't. The water was less violent beneath the surface. He caught a glimpse of something ahead and swam toward it, but the necessity of air stopped his momentum so he surfaced to catch his breath. Even being in shape, this entire process was exhausting him. It didn't matter. He caught his breath and dove again.

There she was, just beneath the waves. She was unconscious, for her body was limp and she moved with the currents.

He was diving deeper, reaching for her, when he was stopped abruptly by the rope around his middle. She was probably 20 feet away, but with the rope keeping him there she might as well have been all the way across the sea.

It was time for a risk.

He untied the rope from his middle, surfaced for air, and then dove to get her.

He almost sighed when he grabbed her arm, thankful he could reach her at all. Then he turned about, looking to reach the rope again. It had drifted in the currents a ways away. He was desperate to reach it, but knew he needed to get her head above the water as soon as possible. She had most definitely already inhaled water and preventing more was imperative.

The going was tough since she was essentially dead weight, but he reached the surface and did his best to keep her head up. But there was no way to find the rope unless he was submerged. He swam toward the boat a bit, dropped again, spotted the rope, and swam a bit farther. When he looked again they were close, so he dove, dragging her with him and finally grabbed the rope once more.

He kicked back to the surface. Already he was scared because she'd been in the water for so long, but he wouldn't give up. He kept them afloat and laboriously wrapped the rope around both of them.

"Louis!" he screamed, waving an arm toward the ship. "Pull us in!" There was no guarantee that they could hear him, but he hoped they would at least see him.

The rope pulled taut and cinched tighter around them as whoever was aboard hauled them back toward the boat. Zayn just hoped they would make it in time to save her.

Kalysta's POV

Darkness. Pain.

"No, no, no, no, Kalysta, you must wake up."

The words bit into the haze that surrounded her, dragging her back to a point where the pain was almost obliterating.

She stirred, feeling a weight on her chest.