Page 59 of The Darkest Hour
Havoc spoke, pulling out of my fantasy for revenge. “Onyx. . .”
“Yes.”
“Am I imagining things. . .or do you see that?”
“See what?”
My heart pounded as I turned.
Oh my God.
The Edge of Survival
Onyx
In the dim light of the moon, a shape emerged from the darkness, off in the distance but unmistakable. A sliver of land, an island, its outline barely visible against the endless expanse of ocean. My breath caught in my throat, torn between hope and fear.
Could it be real? Or was it just another cruel trick of the mind, a mirage born from desperation and exhaustion?
I glanced at Havoc, his eyes were fixed on the distant silhouette too. His grip on me loosened, and I felt a strange mix of emotions—relief, anticipation, and a lingering dread.
What if it was nothing? What if we paddled for hours only to find ourselves still adrift, our hopes dashed against the unforgiving waves? But what choice did we have?
We couldn't stay here, waiting for death to claim us.
Even the faintest possibility of land was worth the effort.
Worth the risk.
A cold shiver ran through me. “I see it.”
“Are you sure?”
“It’s there.”
“Or we are both delirious from dehydration?”
“Then, let us paddle to our deaths.” I slipped back into my spot and grabbed my paddles with barely any strength in my arms. “We have to try.”
“You’re right.” Havoc tore his gaze away from that distant point and picked up his paddles. “Let's go. Island or no island.”
Please, let it be something. We need this.
Together, we adjusted our positions on the raft.
The paddles felt heavy in my hands. Each stroke through the water was a merciless battle against my fatigue and despair.
But Havoc's presence beside me gave me the courage to push forward. “Good. Keep that tempo.”
“Okay.” I shivered and checked over my shoulder.
The island seemed to inch closer, its shape growing more defined with each passing minute. I started to see the outline of palm trees and maybe even a small mountain. In fact, the closer we got, the bigger it became.
It’s real! I swear to God. It is fucking real!
The ocean felt less menacing with a tangible goal in sight.
“Alright.” Havoc picked up the pace. “Goddamn it. We are going to live.”