The ocean always fascinated me.
I don't know why, but something about the tides just… made sense. The way they rose and fell, pulled back and returned. It calmed my brain when nothing else did.
Sometimes, the waves even felt like they were answering me. Like they breathed when I breathed.
Living near Bondi Beach in Australia? Big bonus. I used to run along the shore every morning, letting the wind slap my face awake before boxing class. Those waves became my routine, my background noise, my safe place.
Funny, isn't it?
The same ocean that made me feel alive would be the one to drag me under.
Hello. My name is Elara.
And this is the night everything in my life cracked open.
---
That was a lie.
I didn't drag myself anywhere. I practically skipped. Not because I was done with classes, but because Friday meant I could finally punch something without getting suspended.
I still remember the grin I had while unlocking my bike. My knuckles were still scabbing from last week's sparring match. Coach said I had "rage potential." I figured that meant I sucked at smiling and was too stubborn to stay down.
I slung my gym bag over one shoulder and rolled out into the sunset like a budget action hero.
And then Mia called.
"Heyyy, boxing champ," she said, all sugary-sweet. "Whatcha doing tonight?"
Mia called while I was halfway down the hill. She had that influencer voice — sweet, rehearsed, probably perfected in front of a ring light.
Mia was the kind of girl who could post a photo with seaweed on her face and still go viral. Blonde streaks, fake tan, lashes for days. Always smelled like coconut body spray and expensive regret.
I didn't even have time to fake a smile. "Mia. Hey."
She bounced up beside me in those blinding white sneakers, all high-energy and lip gloss. "Guess what. We're going on a yacht tonight."
I stared at her. "We?"
"Yeah! The girls. Me, Tanya, June, and maybe even Kassy if she stops pretending to have morals. And you, obviously."
"I have an assignment due tomorrow."
Mia rolled her eyes. "Oh, come on. You'll survive. It's just a chill party. No guys, no drama. Just us and the ocean breeze."
I shifted the strap on my shoulder. "You know I'm not really the party type."
"You don't have to be. Just show up. Wear something pretty. Let people realize you exist."
She laughed like she didn't just say that. "Seriously though, you've been ghosting all semester. Don't make me guilt-trip you."
I was already tired, already sore. But the way she looked at me — like I was some project she could fix with champagne and selfies — I didn't have the energy to argue.
"What time?"
"Meet us at the dock at six. Wear something flowy." She grinned. "No gym clothes, I swear to God."
"Fine."
"Yes!" She spun around and walked backwards as she waved. "You won't regret this!"
---
I got home just after six. The sky outside was a soft orange-pink that made everything look like a romance filter.
My room was a mess — gym towel on the chair, half-dry jeans on the bedpost, a punching glove hanging from the closet handle like a forgotten threat.
I tossed my bag down and grabbed a protein bar. It tasted like cardboard and betrayal. Halfway through, my phone buzzed.
MIA: Don't bail. Everyone's already here. Bring that pretty dress you wore to Kai's party!
I rolled my eyes but didn't delete the message.
My thumb hovered.
I hadn't been to a party in months — not one that didn't end with police sirens or someone crying in a bathroom.
Besides… maybe it'd be fun?
I turned toward the shelf near my mirror. A small photo frame sat crooked, like always.
Gran and me at the beach.
Tiny me was grinning like I'd never seen a wave before.
"I'll be fine," I told her picture. "It's just a stupid boat party."
The frame didn't answer, but somehow the room felt warmer for a moment — like something unseen agreed with me.
---
I changed three times before settling on black jeans, a white crop top, and a jacket I could tie around my waist. Casual, not trying too hard but still looked like I belonged.
Lip gloss. Waterproof mascara. Nothing else. I wasn't planning to cry.
When I zipped the small pouch and grabbed my charger, something twisted in my gut — a quiet pull, like pressure on my ribs — but I ignored it.
---
The taxi ride to the dock was silent.
But as we neared the water, the world felt… different.
Still.
Expectant.
Like the ocean was holding its breath.
A soft warmth brushed across my skin when we turned the corner — so faint I thought it was just the heater. Or my imagination.
When I stepped out, the yacht was already lit with string lights, people laughing on deck.
I took a deep breath.
This was it.
---
"ELARA!"
Mia's voice cut through the music like a neon sign.
She bounced over in platform sandals, wearing something silky and aggressively pink. Her hair was curled, her lashes dramatic, her smile too wide.
"You made it!" she squealed, hugging me like we were lifelong besties instead of classmates who shared one group project.
"Yeah," I said. "Told you I might."
"Ugh, I'm so glad." She looped her arm through mine before I could escape. "Come say hi to the crew! We're already pre-gaming."
She dragged me through the deck crowd — half strangers, half people I vaguely recognized from campus. Loud. Flashy. Already tipsy.
Speakers blasted bass-heavy music. Drinks sloshed. Someone was asleep on a beanbag with a bottle like it was his emotional support animal.
"This is Elara," Mia announced. "She's in my psych class. Absolute beast in the gym. Like, punches-for-breakfast level."
A few chuckles. A raised brow. One guy lifted his sunglasses to examine me like I was a rare insect.
"Nice," someone said. "We needed security."
I forced a smile and slipped toward the railing.
The sea stretched out in all directions — endless, dark, and quiet.
Something about it made my chest loosen.
Like the waves recognized me.
A strange warmth brushed over the water, almost like a greeting.
And for a heartbeat, I felt… seen.
I blinked it away.
Behind me, laughter erupted — sharp and too loud. I glanced back.
Mia whispered something to the sunglasses guy. They both laughed while looking at me.
My jaw clenched.
---
Then something shifted beneath the water.
Just a ripple.
A tremor.
A shadow the size of a whale — but moving wrong.
Too quiet.
Too aware.
Like something ancient had turned its head toward me.
My fingers tightened on the railing.
The shadow vanished.
The water stilled.
I shook my head.
Probably just the boat engine.
Probably.
---
Mia appeared beside me again with a too-pink drink.
"Try this. You'll like it."
I took a cautious sip. Immediately regretted it.
"What is this?"
"Relax," she laughed. "You're not driving."
The others were louder now.
Dancing.
Shouting.
Pretending everything was perfect.
I stood at the edge — half in, half out — wondering what the hell I was doing here.
"Truth or dare!" someone yelled.
I refused.
They insisted.
Then the jokes started.
Then the whispers.
Then the laughter that wasn't with me.
A girl muttered near the speaker, not realizing I could hear:
"People like her always act tough. But inside? Glass."
I didn't say anything.
Just smiled like I always did.
The waves rolled beneath us, steady and strange —
like they were waiting for me.
Like they knew tonight wouldn't end on the surface.
✧𓂃⋆༶⋆𓂃✧