Chapter 3

Elaina Valencia POV:

The wind howled outside, a mournful dirge echoing through the damaged submersible. It wasn't just the wind; it was the abyss itself, singing its death song. Each gust rattled the crippled vessel, a stark reminder of my precarious existence.

My emergency pinger, that tiny spark of defiance, was fading. The signal, weak and intermittent, was a desperate prayer. I knew its limitations. It wasn't designed for extreme depths, for this much interference. Every minute that ticked by was a minute closer to the final darkness.

Jaden' s words, "He really, really hated it," echoed in my mind, a cold, persistent whisper that cut deeper than the freezing water. The image of the sharpened metal shard, lying just inches from my face, was a stark reminder of the depth of their malice.

My deep-sea suit, already compromised, seemed to be tearing further. The icy water seeped in, a relentless infiltration that stole the last remnants of my body heat. My muscles cramped, my teeth chattered uncontrollably. I could feel my body shutting down, organ by organ. Life was measured in heartbeats, each one a precious, dwindling resource.

A faint thump. Footsteps. My heart, against all odds, leaped with a flicker of desperate hope. Had they returned? Had Jeffery found a shred of conscience?

No. The voices were too loud, too self-assured. Not rescuers.

Jeffery and Jaden reappeared in the flickering light of the control room. They weren't alone. Another figure, one of the junior expedition members, stood beside them, his face a mixture of concern and confusion.

Jaden, ever the performer, clutched Jeffery's arm, her voice trembling dramatically. "She... she attacked me, David! She just snapped! She tried to hurt us!"

My eyes widened in disbelief. The lie, so brazen, so cruel. I tried to protest, tried to speak, but my throat was still raw, my voice a mere croak, swallowed by the groaning metal and the howling wind.

David, the junior member, looked at the sharpened metal shard Jaden had tossed. He picked it up, his brow furrowed with concern. "This... this is from the comms unit." He looked at me, lying prone, then back at Jaden. "Did she really...?"

Jeffery, stepping forward, pointed to the tear in my suit. "Look at her, David. Hysterical. Self-destructive. She even damaged her own suit. She' s completely unhinged."

David, easily swayed and eager to please Jeffery, nodded slowly. "She does look... distressed." He avoided my gaze.

"I didn't..." I managed to gasp, the words barely audible, lost in the cacophony of the failing sub. The wind seemed to mock my futile attempts, echoing my silence.

Jeffery didn't even pretend to listen. He shook his head, a look of profound disappointment on his face. "It's always been like this, David. Her jealousy. Her ambition. She couldn't stand Jaden getting attention. And now... she's trying to sabotage the entire mission. Sabotage me."

He knelt beside Jaden, pulling her close, stroking her hair. "She's just jealous, darling. Don't let her get to you." His voice was soft, tender, a sickening contrast to the hostility he directed at me.

Jaden, nestled in his arms, met my gaze over his shoulder. Her eyes, cold and triumphant, screamed her victory.

"She's a liability," Jeffery announced, his voice carrying an air of official finality. "A risk to the mission, to everyone on board. We can't afford to have her here, in this state."

My last shred of hope shattered, splintering into a million icy fragments. Reality, cold and brutal, settled over me. There was no misunderstanding. No chance of redemption. They were leaving me. To die.

I closed my eyes, a silent surrender. My body, heavy and unresponsive, sank further into the cold metal. The darkness beckoned, a welcome escape from the pain and betrayal.

"We'll secure her," Jeffery continued, his voice distant, methodical. "And await extraction. She'll be removed from the team, of course. For her own safety. And ours."

Dizziness swirled through my head. The world tilted, then plunged into a swirling vortex of black. I was falling. Falling into the abyss, deeper and deeper, until there was nothing left but the endless dark.

Then, a sound.

A deep thrumming, vibrating through the cold metal. It was out of place. Too powerful, too rhythmic. Not the groans of the failing sub, nor the howl of the ocean.

It grew louder. A pulsing, rhythmic beat. A hum that vibrated through my very bones.

Not the abyss. Something else. Something from above.

A helicopter.