Waves of Fate

Out of nowhere, a tourist cried out, “Look! There’s someone else out there, drifting in the ocean! We’ve got to save her!”

The rescue team sprang into action, their radio crackling with urgent commands: “A person in distress spotted nearby. Move out for immediate support.”

As Ethan and Aria’s boat docked, a crowd had already formed, buzzing with speculation.

A fellow passenger approached Ethan, giving his shoulder a light tap. “Maybe you should check it out? They say someone just died over there. I’m worried…”

Ethan remained unfazed, casually waving off the concern. “No way. She’s an ace swimmer—used to compete when she was younger. Plus, she’s got her life jacket on. She’s probably just waiting for the next boat. She’s fine.”

Right then, a rescue squad passed by, carrying a stretcher draped in white. The onlookers murmured among themselves, their voices tinged with shock and grief they couldn’t quite conceal.

“They say the woman they found was in bad shape,” someone whispered. “Her face was all torn up… She was young and had a deep cut in her belly. Looked like she was expecting, and the baby...”

Even hearing that, Ethan didn’t flinch. His stride remained steady.

His attention was solely on Aria, his voice soft with concern. “Are you okay? Did you get hurt?”

Aria looked up at him, shaking her head. A sly glint of pride flickered in her eyes.

As they stood there, a familiar object tumbled out from under the white cloth on the passing stretcher, landing with a soft plop in the mud.

A seashell necklace was at their feet, its delicate tinkling sound cutting through the murmurs.

Ethan paused for just a moment, his gaze flicking to the necklace. Then, he steadied Aria and moved on.

The necklace lay abandoned in the dirt, its true owner never to return for it.

As darkness settled, there was still no sign of me.

Ethan, clearly frustrated, fired off a voice message. His voice was sharp, each word spiked with irritation. “Wendy! Where on earth did you vanish to?! It’s way too late for you not to be home! Are you off sulking somewhere? Was it really that bad to ask you to wait a bit longer? Do you always have to overreact like this?!”

He gripped his phone tightly, his annoyance clear.

Aria placed a gentle hand on his arm, her voice sweet but insincere. “Ethan, relax. Wendy didn’t mean to disappear. She’s probably just mixed up or something. She’ll turn up soon.”

Just then, Ethan’s phone buzzed to life.

“Hello? What’s up?” he barked into the phone. “Whose relative?”

The voice on the other end mentioned my name, and Ethan exploded, barking into the phone. “Wendy Larson? Did she pay you to pull this stunt? She’s nuts! Tell her to stop messing around and get back here, pronto!”

He ended the call with a sharp click, his expression stormy.

When the phone buzzed again, Ethan’s lips twisted into a cold smirk. Without hesitation, he hit “decline” and blocked the number.

“Wendy, you think you can pull this stunt on me? You’re expecting me to come crawling back? I can’t wait to see how you keep up this act.” He scoffed under his breath, his eyes flashing with unmistakable scorn.

Moments later, he sent another voice message, his tone harsh and jarring. “Wow, Wendy, you’ve really outdone yourself this time—roping someone else into your little drama! Let me make this clear: I’m not coming after you. If you come back now, all meek and sorry, I’ll let it slide like nothing happened. However, if you don’t, then just stay gone for good!”

Deep into the night, Ethan’s phone buzzed again. He scowled at the screen. He was clearly not in the mood to answer, but it was his dad calling. With a reluctant sigh, he picked up.

The moment he did, his dad’s furious voice roared through the speaker. “What the heck are you doing?! Where are you? Get back here, now!”

Ethan’s face twisted in annoyance. “Why? It’s late! I was sleeping, for crying out loud! I’m exhausted!”

His dad’s voice was thick with frustration, brimming with anger and grief. “Sleeping? How can you sleep at a time like this?! Wendy’s gone—she’s dead!”