"I'm sorry… in advance…"
Sorry? Why would he be sorry?
He said it in a cold tone as I saw the shadow of his hand extend over me.
I didn't understand what happened…
Until water rushed into my nose and mouth.
He grabbed my head—and forced me down!
What?! Why—why all of a sudden?!
When I opened my mouth to scream—
Instead of a sound escaping my throat…
I swallowed water.
It poured into my nose and mouth in unnatural amounts,
filled with the sharp taste of chlorine—
So intense it burned my eyes and throat,
until my tears mixed with the pool water.
Splash
Splash
I struggled with everything I had to reach the bottom with my toes—
But it only made things worse.
The leader—the damned boss—
was still gripping my head, holding me in place.
I couldn't rise…
I couldn't break free from his grip either.
There was no escape.
M-my breath…!
He's not going to kill me… right?
H-he'll pull me out any second now!
I was sure of it…
No…
I hoped so.
I fought to breathe—
But nothing entered except more water.
Splash
My frantic arms sent ripples and splashes across the surface.
His grip didn't loosen.
But my body… my body couldn't wait any longer.
As a last attempt—
I grabbed his hand
and dug my nails deep into it.
I even saw a trace of red—
before it disappeared.
But his stubborn hand refused to let go.
I… I'm suffocating!
I tried to tell them—
Anyone—
But it was useless.
At that moment, I realized the truth.
They're… trying to kill me!
My strength faded.
My grip weakened.
My consciousness…
drifted away.
I… shouldn't… have come…
But it was too late.
The struggle stopped.
The water surface grew still.
And the last bubble escaped from Maryam's mouth—
announcing the end of her final breath.
"That's enough!"
Lina shouted.
But her voice wasn't meant for the girl beneath the water—
whose consciousness had already faded.
"That's enough! You'll kill her!"
But the unmoving hand in the water didn't budge.
"Just a little more…"
Suleiman muttered, biting his lower lip.
Another hand moved toward the surface—
deeper… stronger.
Suleiman shot a cold glance to the side.
"What are you doing?"
"Boss! Haven't you had enough?!
It's been a while since the surface went still!"
Despite shouting, Basil hesitated.
"Her signals are fading!"
he yelled, trying to pull Maryam up—
as if waking his leader from a deep sleep.
"…"
At last—
the grip loosened.
Splash
"Mariam!"
Lina rushed to the soaked body that was pulled out easily.
"Perform CPR."
He gave the order coldly,
his eyes fixed on the lifeless, waterlogged body laid at the edge of the pool.
"Oh my God… this is insane…"
Even Lina muttered—
before lifting Maryam's head and pressing on her chest,
forcing out the water filling her lungs.
*Cough
*Cough
Her body jerked again and again.
*Cough
*Cough
She vomited water—
everything inside her.
*Cough
"Haaah… haaah!"
"Mariam! Thank God, she's alive!"
Lina stopped pressing, giving her space to expel the rest.
They're insane!
"Haaah…"
I have to get out of this den of lunatics!
I clutched my chest.
I almost died…
I saw my life flash before my eyes!
I pushed my wet hair back and glared at the man in the black suit.
He met my gaze with his cold gray eyes—
stealing what little breath I had left.
He said nothing.
Just took out a handkerchief and wiped the blood from where I had scratched him.
"Catch your breath. We'll resume in five minutes."
"…"
"…"
My face hardened.
What did this bastard just say?
"Resume, my ass! I'm not continuing this nonsense!"
I crawled away from the pool,
then limped toward the changing booth.
As if he hadn't nearly killed me moments ago,
his indifferent voice stopped me.
"You're a ticking bomb…
If you don't learn to control your power soon…
Think about your family."
I froze.
A bomb…? Me?
I turned to argue—
*Step
*Step
But the man walking away…
looked smaller than usual this time.
*Thud
He disappeared from the room—
leaving no trace.
*Thud
I slammed the changing room door shut.
Damn it!
I slid down to the floor,
my back pressed against the door,
exhausted.
I buried my head in my hands.
"He almost killed me…
Why is he acting like—ugh!"
I shook my hair like a madwoman.
Knock
"Mariam…"
Lina's voice sounded worried.
But I didn't respond.
"Miss, I know this is sudden for you, but… the boss— I mean, the leader—he's not a bad person. He did it for a reason."
Basil's voice joined in, trying to comfort me.
A reason?
What kind of reason almost kills someone?!
I made my decision.
I'm leaving.
I didn't escape death by fire—
just to die drowning.
"Mariam, I know what you're thinking, but every ability has conditions. And since yours awakened in a life-threatening situation, we tried to recreate similar conditions."
Lina tried to explain.
But still—
There was nowhere safe.
Not even here.
My fingers dug into my damp palm.
I'll take what I need from them—
then I'll leave.
Yes.
I wouldn't have known anything about this world without them.
If I want to survive—
I have to learn.
But still…
"…I'll come out on one condition.
Tell him not to come near me while I'm in the water.
And second—he warns me before doing anything!"
I opened the door slightly.
"…"
"…"
Lina was smiling—
a gentle smile I didn't expect.
"I'm proud of you, girl."
"The first time I went through this, I left and didn't come back for a week… hehe."
She scratched her nose and lifted her chin proudly.
You too?!
I was genuinely shocked.
Was this some kind of initiation ritual?
I turned instinctively to the dark-skinned guy beside her.
He read my look that clearly said: What about you?
"Haha…"
He scratched the back of his neck awkwardly.
"Yeah… no… nothing like that happened to me… haha."
Of course.
Who would do that to a human tank like him?
Even Suleiman—
whose hand I couldn't move an inch—
I doubt he could do that to this giant.
"Hooof…"
I let out a long breath.
I need to finish this damned training as fast as possible.
---
******
Under the dim light of my room,
I stared at my fingers.
My skin was wrinkled… shriveled.
"This is bad…
Very bad!"
All day long—
More than twenty attempts.
Six of them nearly ended in drowning.
I still can't control this ability!
"No… it hasn't even shown itself!"
The spinner kept spinning—
just like my mind.
"At this rate…
I'll develop a trauma from water!"
"Oh… what should I do?"
The only response—
was the soft cooing of the bird sleeping in the room.
"You'll come again tomorrow.
Since you're going back to university this weekend,
you must at least learn to activate your ability at will. Understood?"
"Maybe this way you can defend yourself…
or at least avoid harming others by accident."
That was the leader's decision—
that block of ice.
To intensify the training.
A terrible decision—
for me.
"…Let's do this… yeah, you can do it!"
I encouraged myself,
clenching my hand—
already ruined by the water.