Love Burned, She Rose Unscathed

Roseanne tilted her head, trying to paint a picture with her barren imagination. However, she felt a noticeable drop in her anxiety levels after hearing her instructor's words.

By the afternoon, when the sun was high and the air felt a tad warmer, it was time to hit the water.

Diving suits came in two styles, including the two-piece and one-piece, and one could pick whatever suited his fancy. Ever the fashionista, Leda went for a stylish two-piece, while Roseanne opted for a slightly more modest one-piece.

Even so, when they stepped out of the changing room, they caught quite a few admiring glances, and someone whistled in their direction.

Before they jumped in, the instructor suggested they get acclimated to the water's temperature first.

"Once you're in, try not to tense up too much. I'll guide you to the diving area myself," he said. "Our rescue team is nearby. If anything happens, signal for help, and they'll be there in a heartbeat." "Okay," Roseanne said, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.

"Okay, ladies, welcome to the underwater realm. I hope you have the time of your lives," the instructor said with a smile that was infectious enough to make Roseanne smile back.

But when it was time to get in the water, Roseanne's nerves inevitably crept back up.

Leda gave her hand a reassuring squeeze, thumbing toward herself as if to say, "With me by your side, there's nothing to worry about."

Roseanne steadied her heart and watched Leda leap fearlessly into the water. Taking a deep breath, she followed suit. As she sank deeper, the light began to blur, and her body felt significantly heavier than it did on land.

Leda was sinking faster, and the pressure from the water flow almost made her lose sight of her friend.

Just then, the instructor gestured that they had descended about fifty meters.

Roseanne exhaled slowly, starting to immerse herself in the surrounding world. Fish swam by, darting past her on both sides. A translucent jellyfish floated before her eyes, pulsating open and closing like a tiny umbrella repeatedly unfurled and folded.

She played with the water, causing the jellyfish to contract into a ball no bigger than a fist before it vanished from sight. She chuckled to herself, her nervousness evaporating as she examined her surroundings.

Swimming joyfully, Leda turned back and saw Roseanne pausing to watch the fish, her eyes lit with

curiosity. She tried to grasp.

something but only watched the fish

slip-through her fingers.

With a raised eyebrow, Leda swam over and took her hand, leading her in a new direction.

Soon, Roseanne saw a vibrant, dazzling coral reef emerge from the murky waters, looking like a little mountain in the deep blue.

The reef, made of rocks and corals in every color imaginable, seemed endless.

And the tropical fish, whose names she didn't know, zipped through the waters like they were in paradise.

The breathtaking scenery felt like entering another world, and she realized how beautiful the underwater world the instructor spoke of could be.

Following a school of fish through a circular hole in the coral, she chased after a starfish when a massive shadow suddenly obscured the light above.

Roseanne looked up to see a shark looming directly overhead. She gasped.

The diving area had safe and dangerous zones, and before diving, the instructor had assured them their area was completely safe, free from any large predators. Panicking, she turned around but couldn't spot Leda or the instructor anywhere.

With the shark about to spot her and no way out, she knew she would become its next meal if she didn't act fast.