The Sinking Hope

He was forced to cling to Clark as they floated together underwater.

Soren struggled to open his eyes and adjust to the pressure beneath the water.

In the deep blue-green waves, he saw Clark frowning deeply.

Clark lifted his elbow and gently tapped the bus window, which instantly shattered, sending glass fragments floating into the lake like snowflakes.

Clark kicked his legs and used his forearm to guide Soren toward the broken window, trying to push him out first.

Soren shook his head vigorously.

His exhaled breath formed a stream of tiny bubbles in the water, making it even harder for him to see clearly.

But he firmly held onto the seat back and pointed to the other students still trapped inside the bus, signaling Clark to save them first.

Then, he gave Clark an "OK" hand signal to show that he was fine for now.

Clark glanced at him and then at the struggling students on the bus.

In this critical moment, every second counted; delaying could cost lives.

He didn't hesitate any longer.

Seeing that Soren was determined to stay, Clark reluctantly nodded his head and swam out through the broken window.

By now, a few students who could swim had also escaped from the bus and were desperately making their way to the surface.

Noting that no one was paying attention to him, Clark quietly swam to the rear of the bus.

He spread his arms, grabbing the edges of the rear window with both hands.

Holding his breath and using all his strength, he lifted the bus, which was buried deep in the mud at the lake's bottom.

Next, he used one arm to stabilize the bus and changed his position, moving his body underneath the bus.

He lifted the bus's underside with his shoulders, bending his neck to hoist the entire bus and the students inside slowly out of the water.

The bus emerged from the lake's surface, breaking through the cluttered water.

The red sunset bathed the choppy water in a shimmering golden light.

Under the huge school bus, Clark was soaked, with half his body sticking out of the lake.

He looked like the Titan Atlas from mythology, holding up the world with his broad shoulders.

No, he wasn't just mimicking or idolizing a god; he was the god himself—

He was the son of Krypton, a god on Earth.

Clark moved the bus to the shore and gently set it down on the mud.

At this point, the teenagers inside the bus hadn't yet recovered from the shock.

They didn't know what had happened.

They only felt that after sinking to the bottom of the lake, the bus had suddenly risen again.

The bus, which had been completely covered by water, was now bathed in daylight.

They were back on the surface.

Terrified kids began to cry and cough up water.

Their belongings had fallen into the lake during the emergency, and they were all in a mess, frightened and disheveled.

Clark climbed onto the shore and quickly squeezed through the back window of the bus to check on Soren.

Soren was also soaked, with wet hair sticking to his cheeks.

His shirt clung to his slim body, making him look like a drenched puppy, pitiful and small.

Clark's heart ached seeing him like this.

He hurriedly pulled Soren up and asked, "Soren, are you okay? Did you inhale any water? Are you feeling alright?"

"I'm fine," Soren shook his head, pretending not to know what Clark had done.

Like the other students, he wiped the water off his face with his hand and said, "I was holding my breath the whole time. I didn't swallow any water. Let's go check on the others first."

Clark was still worried and was about to use his X-ray vision to check Soren's condition quietly when a hand grabbed his sleeve.

He turned around and saw Lana Lang's tear-streaked face.

"Clark, please, please help me! Whitney is still down there… Whitney is still in the water…" she said, panicked and trembling, her words coming out in a jumble.

Lana Lang was a very pretty girl.

Today, she wore a beautiful yellow dress that matched her ginger hair, making her look vibrant and lovely.

But now, her soaked dress clung to her body, outlining her graceful figure and giving her a different, poignant beauty.

No wonder everyone at Smallville High School believed Clark had been in love with her for years.

Clark was surprised; this was the first time in all these years that Lana had approached him.

But then he turned his head to Soren, feeling inexplicably uneasy.

Everyone in Smallville knew about Clark's "secret crush" on Lana, and Soren must have heard about it too.

Clark was definitely going to rescue Whitney, but would Soren misunderstand something?

Would he be angry?

Clark's heart raced.

Meanwhile, Soren, upon hearing Lana's plea, pushed Clark and said, "Clark? What are you waiting for? Go save him!"

Clark snapped back to reality and nodded, as if waking from a dream. "Okay, I'll go now. Lana, don't worry. I'll get Whitney out."

"I'll go with you," Soren offered to follow.

Clark quickly put a hand on his shoulder, "No, I'll go alone. Stay here and look after the other students. Trust me, Soren."

Although Clark's grip on Soren's shoulder seemed gentle, Soren couldn't move forward any further.

He could only nod obediently and said, "Then hurry up and come back. Don't let Whitney stay in the water too long—he might drown."

The wet, shivering dog seemed to suddenly transform into a cat with an owner.

Clark nodded and leaped back into the lake.

Once in the water, Clark used his X-ray vision, and the murky lake became clear to him.

He quickly spotted Whitney, who was unconscious at the bottom.

Clark swam over, pulled Whitney out of the mud, and carried him on his back as he swam to the surface.

When they reached the shore, many students gathered around to check on Whitney.