'…Fuck.'
Azel hit the water so hard that all the air was knocked out of him.
The shock from the cold hit his lungs immediately, and he couldn't breathe.
His body convulsed as he tried to take a breath, but there was nothing and worse yet, his lungs were already tightening painfully.
'I'll just fall to the bottom and use my legs to jump up,' he thought, forcing himself to calm down.
But the turbulence made everything worse.
The currents tossed him in every direction, and he couldn't tell which way was up or if he was anywhere near solid ground.
'…I didn't survive all those things the world threw at me just to die by drowning,' he thought bitterly.
His body continued sinking, slower now, the weight of the water pressing heavily against him.
His vision started to blur. It was only a matter of time before his body gave in and he took an involuntary breath of water.
Then, suddenly… something grabbed his hand.
A powerful grip yanked him upward.
