Until We Meet

8| 🎗️Turmoil

                               🥀

The icy water enveloped me as I plunged into the river, my legs flailing momentarily before sinking deeper. My hair, loosened from its braid, danced around my face as the current tugged at me.

"Shoot! Don't let her escape!" a harsh voice boomed from the shore. Three figures emerged from the trees, their faces obscured by masks. A flurry of arrows arced through the air, their deadly tips piercing the water's surface, sending ripples spreading outwards.

Underwater, the world blurred as the current toyed with my body. The tips of the arrows glinted menacingly, their relentless dive towards me painting a terrifying picture. Panic constricted my chest, the air trapped in my lungs burning with each passing second. My arms flailed uselessly, the water offering no resistance to my desperate attempts to stay afloat.

After what felt like an eternity spent gasping for breath, my eyelids fluttered open. Through the distorted lens of water, I saw Lu Zhao Yun swimming towards me, his face etched with concern. My lips parted, a silent plea escaping in a rush of bubbles. My lungs, starved of oxygen, could only manage shallow breaths, each gasp a painful struggle.

Helplessly, I watched him approach, my body a leaden weight refusing to obey my frantic commands. A single tear escaped my eye, tracing a salty path down my cheek as the precious air in my lungs dwindled to a mere flicker. My eyelids fluttered one last time before succumbing to the darkness, the river's embrace pulling me deeper into its depths.

Always craved for sweet coated haws next Mid Autumn festival, but I don't think I can have them anymore...

As I sank deeper into the river, a yearning for the sweet, sticky hawthorn candies of the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival flickered in my mind. But the thought was quickly eclipsed by the growing darkness at the edges of my vision as my eyelids fluttered shut.

Suddenly, a jolt ripped through me, a forceful shake on my shoulders dragging me back from the brink. My body, however, refused to cooperate. Speech was beyond me, and even breathing became a herculean effort. My arms lay limp behind me, unresponsive to the desperate attempts to rouse me. My vision remained stubbornly shut, the world dissolving into a hazy blur.

Gasping for every precious breath, I felt a burning sensation flood my cheeks as someone's cold hands clamped onto my shoulders, shaking me frantically. Yet, even this couldn't pierce the veil of unconsciousness that had descended upon me.

Through the haze, I registered the faint pressure of lips on mine, followed by a sudden rush of air that invaded my lungs, coaxing them back to life. This life-giving breath, delivered through an intimate touch, filled my starved lungs with a much-needed sustenance. Although my body remained unresponsive, the sensation of his cool lips pressed against mine was undeniable.

Too weak to react, I drifted in this state of semi-consciousness, my body a heavy weight defying all commands. His lips remained, a constant source of air and a lifeline tethering me to the world above. As the minutes stretched into an eternity, punctuated only by the relentless rain of arrows piercing the water's surface, my heart began to race erratically, a frantic drumbeat echoing the fear clawing at my insides.

For what seemed like an age, he continued his efforts, his lips never leaving mine, his breath maintaining a fragile connection between me and the world. Slowly, a flicker of movement returned to my fingers, a faint tremor hinting at the fight for survival still burning within me. However, the rest of my body remained trapped in a state of paralysis, only the frantic rhythm of my heart and the twitching of my fingers betraying any sign of life.

As the flurry of arrows subsided, the masked men retreated with a shared glance of confirmation. A crimson stain spread on the water's surface, prompting them to utter a single, urgent, "Let's go!" before vanishing into the dense foliage.