The moment the realization hit, Eli's breath caught in his throat.
A flicker—sharp, blinding—flared beneath the surface. Not blue this time, but yellow. Then white. Like lightning being born underwater.
His heart dropped. "Everyone, watch out!" he yelled, voice raw, desperate—because he already knew it wouldn't matter.
There was no time to move. No chance to run.
And maybe that was it.
Because in the space of a single heartbeat—before even the echo of his own voice could fade—he felt it.
The water had risen high enough to touch his neck, cold and heavy. And the instant it did—
Pain.
Pure, searing pain.
It wasn't like being burned—it was worse. It was every nerve on fire, every muscle locking at once. His body jerked violently, his vision flashing white. His throat clenched, and a sound—half-scream, half-choke—ripped from his lungs before it drowned in the current.
The shock tore through him in waves, each one sharper, heavier, relentless.
