Under the surface they wait

The sea was calm when Daniel chose to take a dip in the ocean.

There was no storm, there was no warning. It was just a thick silence, as if the ocean was holding its breath.

The water was strangely hot as it went under the sunlight flowed through blue columns, making it look like a tunnel leading to a different realm Daniel looked up: the surface shone like a distant mirror.

At first, he thought they were just rocks, maybe some seaweed, or just a wild goose search in his head. But then, they began to move around him, floating in a perfect circle, like human bodies, all swollen and pale, hanging in the darkness like those old tempos

They didn't swim, they didn't break, they looked, Someone was slowly turning in his head, his eyes were open, dark, and he nods completely still.

Daniel gave it a chance, btu then things took a turn The water got very dense, like it was hugging the center of that tight circle It wasn't going up or down

He was trapped.

The numbers began to dance together in perfect synchronization Their arms and legs were all stiff and looked weird They didn't touch him, but they were closer to the wound I felt the cold of their bodies without being brushed.

And then he understood, They didn't drown.

They were offerings. From time to time, the ocean seemed to be begging someone not to end their life but to join the quiet chorus that resided under the glow. Right in front of him, a figure opened its mouth. The water did not come out of his throat

There was a whisper, "Breathe..." Daniel, desperate, breathing And the water entered his lungs without pain.

Don't drown.

There is no resistance. His body gave up the fight, his arms fell to his sides, his eyes widened, all black and deep, like all the others

Above, the surface remained calm.

Below, the circle closed once again.

And the ocean... He waited again.