The party lasts through the night, and well into the next day. It's a strange, surreal experience, one that I'm not sure how to process. I spend most of my time with Alistair, dancing and talking, laughing at his stupid jokes. It's... nice. Comfortable. It feels like we're just two normal people, enjoying a normal party. Not two rebels, not survivors hiding from an alien empire, planning our next move.
Arden sits across from us, holding what has to be his third drink too many. He's relaxed, his guard down, a rare sight. He's laughing at something Cal just said, his eyes bright, his smile genuine. It's good to see him like this, to see him letting go, even if it's just for a moment.
We're all sitting on cushions, the music playing softly in the background. The party has died down, most of the people either passed out or gone to bed. But a few of us are still up, still talking, still enjoying the last remnants of the celebration.
Hestia is asleep, curled up in a corner, her head resting on a pile of cushions. I keep an eye on her, making sure she's okay, but she seems content, peaceful. It's a relief, to see her so relaxed.
Alistair is next to me, his arm draped over my shoulders, his body warm against mine. I should probably move away, put some distance between us. But I don't want to. I like the feel of him, the solid presence of him next to me. It's comforting, reassuring. And maybe... maybe more than that.
I don't want to think about that right now.
Arden waves his hand. "Cal, Cal you drunk bastard, shut up. Shut up. Let me. Tell you. The one about the..." he stares at the ceiling, thinking. "...The one about the bird!"
"Oh no, the bird story!" Cal groans, covering his face.
"Yes! The bird! You love the bird story! Listen to it!" Arden laughs, and it's a loud, boisterous sound. "Okay, so. There's this bird. Sarah, you've never heard this-"
"She need not!" Cal barks, smacking Arden's leg. "Every damn time...! You always tell it!"
Arden shoves Cal. "So there is! This damn bird. Huge! Bird!" He gestures with his hands, indicating some kind of size. "Big ass beak! And it-"
He stops talking. His gaze is fixed on something behind me, his expression changing in an instant. "--Shit. SHIT!"
I jump, startled by his sudden outburst. "What? What is it?"
He's already on his feet, his drink forgotten, spilling onto the floor. "Cal! With me! Now!" He shouts, and then he's running, sprinting towards the doorway.
I scramble to my feet, my heart pounding. "Arden! What's going on?"
"The tide!" He calls back, not slowing down. "It's coming in! We need to close the hatches!"
My blood runs cold. The tide. The surge. The creatures. We're not ready. We didn't expect it to happen so soon. "What about the others? The people downstairs-!"
"With me! Move!" He's already out of sight, his voice echoing down the corridor.
I don't hesitate. I leap to my feet, my mind racing and sprint after him. Alistair is right behind me, his hand on my back, guiding me forward. Cal is ahead, cursing in Russian as he stumbles after Arden.
We run down the corridors, the sound of our footsteps echoing off the walls. My heart is pounding, my breath coming in short, sharp gasps. We need to hurry, need to get to the lower levels, need to warn the others. But there's so little time...
We reach the stairs, taking them two at a time, nearly slipping in our haste. Arden is ahead, his movements sure and steady despite the alcohol in his system. He's done this before, I realize. He knows what to do, how to handle this.
But as we reach the lower level, the sound of rushing water fills my ears. It's a terrifying, deafening roar, the sound of a wall of water bearing down on us. I can see it through the windows, a dark, churning mass of water and foam, hurtling towards the station.
"Shit!" Arden curses, his eyes wide with horror. "We're too late!"
The water hits the station with a deafening crash, the impact shaking the ground beneath our feet. The hatches blow open and the water bursts through the now open tunnels in the walls, flooding into the bottom floor with a terrifying speed and force. Three people are swept up in the rush, their screams cut short as they're dragged under, their bodies disappearing into the murky depths.
I freeze, my heart stopping in my chest. They're... they're gone. Just like that. In an instant. There's no time to react, no time to save them. They're just... gone.
"Sarah!" Arden snaps. "Mourn later! Survivors now! Move!"
His voice jolts me into action, and I start down the stairs, my feet moving on autopilot. There are people on the steps, trying to escape, their faces pale with fear. We help them up, guiding them to the upper levels, away from the water, away from the danger.
But it's not just the water we have to worry about. I can see them now, the creatures Arden warned us about. Their tentacles, long and sinuous, whip out of the water, grabbing anything they can reach. They wrap around a woman's leg, pulling her back, her screams echoing in the confined space. I lunge forward, grabbing her arms, trying to pull her free. But the creature is too strong, its grip too tight.
My fingers only grasp hers briefly, long enough for her blue eyes to stare into mine with desperation. Then she's gone, swallowed by the water.
"No! No!" I scream, my hands grasping at empty air. But there's nothing I can do. She's gone. Just like the others. Just like...
"Sarah, get back!" Alistair's voice cuts through my panic, his hand on my arm, pulling me back.
I stumble, my eyes still fixed on the spot where she disappeared. The water is rising, the creatures getting bolder, their tentacles reaching further, higher. We need to get out of here, now.
We retreat, running up the stairs, the sound of the water, of the screams, chasing us.
There's a landing, about halfway up, that branches into hallways with rooms. A man is standing there, eyes wide with panic, his body frozen in fear. He's too scared to move, to even speak. I can see the way his chest is heaving, the terror in his eyes. He's going to get himself killed.
Arden punches the man in the face, the sound of the impact a sharp crack in the chaos. The man staggers, his hand going to his nose, blood seeping between his fingers. He looks at Arden in shock, his eyes wide with pain and confusion.
"You can freeze when you're dead, Michal!" Arden yells, grabbing the man's collar, hauling him up the stairs. "Move!"
The man stumbles, just a step, and then finally finds his footing. He nods, still dazed, but moving. We follow, our pace quickening as the water continues to rise, the creatures still hunting.
There's still screams, from behind me and ahead. I can't tell who they belong to, can't tell if they're people I know, people I care about. All I know is the fear, the panic, the desperate need to survive. My chest is tight, my throat raw from shouting, my legs burning with exertion.
We're almost at the top, almost safe. I can see the doorway to the upper levels, the promise of safety just a few steps away. But then I hear it. A scream that makes my blood run cold. A scream I know, a voice I would recognize anywhere.
Hestia.
I turn, my heart stopping in my chest. She's on the landing below, her small body caught in the grating, her ankle trapped. She's struggling, trying to pull herself free, but it's no use.
How...? How did she get down here? Why? She's...! I left her upstairs where she was safe! Why did she come down here?!
"Sarah!" Alistair grabs my arm, trying to pull me back. "We have to go!"
"No!" I wrench my arm free, my eyes fixed on Hestia. "I can't leave her!"
"She's too far! We'll all die if you go back!" He shouts, his eyes wide with fear. "Please, Sarah!"
But I'm already moving, already running back down the stairs. Arden is right behind me, his expression grim, determined. He knows, just like I do, that we can't leave her. We can't lose her. Not like this. Not now.
"Lock those damn hatches!" Arden shouts over his shoulder to Alistair.
I reach Hestia, dropping to my knees in front of her. She's crying, her eyes wide with terror, her hands clawing at the grating. I grab her arm, trying to pull her free, but her ankle is stuck fast. I can see the water rising, the creatures getting closer. We're running out of time.
"Hey. Hey, look at me. Hestia." I force my voice to be steady, to be calm. I reach into my pocket and pull out the knife that I grabbed from the party table, the only weapon I have. "I'm gonna cut your shoelaces. I need you to kick the shoe off, okay? Can you do that?"
She nods, her tears still falling, but there's a flicker of determination in her eyes. She's scared, but she's not giving up. She's stronger than I thought, stronger than I could ever be.
I saw through the laces, the blade cutting through the fabric with ease. She kicks her foot, once, twice, and the shoe comes loose. Arden quickly pulls her up, dragging her towards the stairs, towards safety.
"Go, girl!" He shouts, pushing her, "Go!" Then he looks back at me. "Sarah! Move!"
I'm right behind them, the knife still in my hand, my heart still pounding. We're almost there, almost safe. Arden's hand reaches back, grabbing my arm and shoving me forward as well.
"Don't wait! Go! Go! Go!"
The water is just behind us, the creatures so close I can see the tips of their tentacles writhing just below my feet. We can't stop, can't slow down. We have to keep moving, have to get to safety.
We reach the top of the stairs, the doorway just a few feet away. Alistair is there, his face pale with fear, his eyes wide. He grabs Hestia, pulling her through the doorway, out of danger.
Arden and I are right behind. Just a few more steps, just a few more seconds, and we'll be safe. We'll make it. We-
Arden cries out, a sound of pain and surprise.
I know what I'm going to see even before I look, before I turn my head. But I have to. I have to see. My heart is in my throat, my blood turning to ice.
Arden is hanging over the edge, his body half in the water, his hand gripping the railing with white knuckles. His face is twisted in pain, his eyes wide with shock. A tentacle is wrapped around his chest, another around his leg, pulling him back, dragging him into the water.
"Arden!" I scream, my voice breaking. I reach for him, my hand grasping at his arm, trying to pull him back. But the creature is too strong, the water too powerful. I can't hold on, can't save him. No more than I could save that woman. Than I could save Ivan.
His eyes meet mine, and I can see the fear, the acceptance in them. He knows. He knows he's not going to make it. "Sarah," he gasps, his voice strained. "Go."
"No! No, I won't!" I scream, my grip tightening. "Arden, please!"
"Go! You have to go!" He insists, his grip slipping.
Alistair's arms seize my shoulders, trying to pull me away. "Sarah, we have to go! Dammit, let go!"
"No! No! I can't!" I sob, my vision blurring with tears. "I can't lose you too!"
Arden's expression turns tender, a sad smile pulling at his lips. "Sarah..." He pauses, gritting his teeth as the creature pulls him further down. "You're a good kid." The hand holding the railing slips.
I scream, and for a moment everything seems to slow down. I feel Alistair's hands on me. I see Arden's hand slip free of the railing, his body being pulled into the water, disappearing beneath the surface. And then there's nothing. Nothing but the sound of the water, the pounding of my heart, the echo of his voice in my ears.
It's happening again.
Ivan, Sinead... Now Arden. I can't. I can't just...
Again...!
Again!
"NO!"
I wrench myself free of Alistair's grip, my body moving before my mind can catch up. I dive forward, into the water, the knife still clutched in my hand. The cold, toxic water engulfs me, the shock of it stealing my breath. The water itself burns.
I don't care. I can't stop. I won't stop. I can see him, his body floating in the water, dragged down toward a monstrous mouth. I swim towards him, my arms moving, my legs kicking. I can't let him die. I can't lose him. Not like this. Not when I'm right here.
The knife feels heavy in my hand, but I grip it tightly, my knuckles white. I slash the tentacle coiled around his chest, the blade cutting through the slimy, scaly skin. The creature screeches, a horrible, piercing sound that vibrates through the water. I stab again, again, my movements frantic, desperate. I can feel the heat of its blood, thick and black, swirling around me.
Then the tentacle loosens, and the creature recoils, fleeing into the depths. I grab Arden's arm, pulling him up, my own lungs burning. We break the surface, gasping for breath, the air tasting sweet and toxic all at once. Alistair's arms are there, grabbing us, dragging us out of the water, onto the solid ground.
Every single part of me, inside and out, is on fire, and after a moment, I realize that the sound in my ears isn't the water roaring. It's my own screams.
Then, before I can figure out why, darkness consumes me.