I couldn't sleep.
Not after what I'd seen earlier the way her hand had healed like nothing had ever happened. The thought spun in my mind again and again, until it became impossible to ignore.
So when I heard Mira's soft footsteps that night, I was ready.
She slipped out of bed quietly, her silhouette outlined by moonlight. I waited until she climbed out through the window, then threw on my hoodie and followed, my heart hammering in my chest.
The air outside was cool and damp. The only sound was the rhythmic crash of the waves against the cliffs. Mira moved quickly, like she knew every shadow and turn of the path that led down to the beach.
When we reached the sand, the moon hung low over the water bright and full, turning the sea into a sheet of silver. Mira walked straight toward it, her bare feet leaving light prints in the sand.
I stopped a few meters behind, watching.
She didn't hesitate just stepped into the surf, one step, then another, until the waves rose to her waist.
"Mira!" I called softly.
She didn't answer. The wind carried her hair around her face, and she kept moving farther in.
"Mira!" I yelled louder, panic tightening my throat.
When the water reached her shoulders, something in me snapped. I dropped my shoes and ran into the ocean after her.
The water was colder than I expected, biting through my clothes as I pushed forward. The waves hit hard, pulling me sideways. I could barely see her now just a faint shimmer of light beneath the surface.
"Mira!"
Then she disappeared.
My heart stopped. I dove forward, thrashing, trying to reach where she'd gone under but the current was too strong. The ocean roared in my ears, salt stinging my eyes as I fought to stay above the surface.
Then a wave hit me hard.
The world spun cold, endless, heavy. I tried to scream, but water filled my mouth. My lungs burned. My body sank, and the moonlight above grew smaller and smaller.
Just before everything went dark, I felt something wrap around me strong, smooth, and fast.
It pulled me upward.
The next thing I knew, I was lying on the shore, coughing up seawater. The stars blurred above me. My hair was plastered to my face, and my whole body trembled.
Then I saw her a shadow at the water's edge, her hair shining silver in the moonlight.
Mira.
She looked at me for a long, silent moment, her eyes glowing faintly like pearls. Then, l passed out the darkness swallowing me whole.