Cursed | Armando Salazar x OC

TWENTY-EIGHT

Gasping for breath, I grab at my chest as my knees give in. That's not right, is it? I feel...empty. Whatever ties that connected me with the ocean, are gone. Everything is so quiet and...dead.

But my silent panic momentarily disappears when I look up to find Armando hunched over a rock, appearing to be catching his...breath? The next thing I know, several officers fall through the watery wall, breathless, and coughing up water.

Armando straightens up, hands poking and prodding his now solid face, clear of cracks and black liquid. His hair stopped swirling and lies cascaded over his back and shoulders, appearing softer than I thought they'd be. And his eyes... gone is the raging gold that swirled in his anger, replaced by the warmest, most comforting brown I've ever seen. He's perfect in every way I thought he'd be mortal.

And the crew...

They're mortal, too. Back in the flesh, skins dark and tanned, and eyes gleaming in awe.

Armando starts to laugh, and the crew follows, celebrating their mortality after twenty-five years of being dead.

All curses have been broken.

But the pain in my chest remains.

"Samira!" Just like that, the celebrations end. I look up to see Lesaro and the crew rushing toward me. At the mentioning of my name, Armando's gaze falls on me and his expression falters.

In a beat, he's at my side and holding me steady. "Samira, what's happening?"

I shake my head as fear begins to cloud my vision. "I don't know. Everything hurts, I can't move..." Looking up at the crew, my panic increases, "I thought I told you to get back to the Mary. You'll all drown once the walls come down."

"Magda and a few officers are there right now, señorita," Lesaro says, but his tone is dark and thick with worry.

Just as he said that I feel the temperature drop as the walls begin to move in. Every person looks up as panic fills their hearts at the possibility of either drowning or being crushed by the mass of water.

At that moment, the sound of metal grating on metal makes me look up to see the Pearl sailing the wall above, lowering its anchor for Jack, Carina, and Henry to grab onto. And just a few yards behind, the Mary follows suit, anchor already hanging as low as it can go.

"We have to go," I tell Armando and the crew, "Hurry!"

While Henry, Carina and Jack make a run for the Pearl, the rest of us climb the rocks to await our escape to pass by.

"You first, señorita," says Santos when the time is near.

"No," I shake my head, "I'm slow, I'll slow you down. You go first and I'll follow."

"One of us can carry you," Lesaro tries changing my mind.

"I said no. Now climb!"

The Mary's anchor passes by right that moment and the first few officers grab hold of the chain. Realizing I won't change my mind, Santos and Lesaro are forced to do as I said and follow their follow crew members up.

"Armando, let's go!" I grab his arm and begin – painfully – running along the rock. Using the last bit of my strength, I take the jump and grab onto the giant metal arm. With the help of the last officer who jumped, Lesaro, I'm hauled up onto the stock so I can reach the chain.

Despite the pain, despite the dread that I've lost something valuable after breaking the Trident, I'm elated. The curse is broken, the officers are free, and we're all going to survive.

Wishing to share this joy with Armando, I look down, expecting him to be right on my heels...and still like a statue.

He's not on the anchor.