It's so cold...
Azriel opened his eyes.
Water. All around him. Freezing, silent, suffocating.
He thrashed instinctively—I can't breathe!—but there was no air to gasp.
His lungs screamed. Panic surged. Where the hell am I?!
He kicked upward, arms clawing through the heavy water. His vision blurred as his breath thinned. Just a little farther—
Then he saw it. Light.
The surface.
He broke through with a gasp, sucking in air like it was life itself. The moon greeted him—cold and distant, hanging above a still, endless sea.
And floating beside him… was himself.
A perfect copy, lounging calmly on the water like it was solid.
"Hey Azriel," the double said with a smile that didn't reach its eyes. "When are you gonna stop running, huh?"
"What…? I've been fighting my whole life!" Azriel shouted, his voice raw and defensive.
