CHAPTER 19: Bashed Under Water.

The water around Mae was inky black, and light only came from the faint glow of her diving watch. Suddenly, she heard a sound outside the cage, a low growling that seemed to come from all directions. She froze, her heart pounding in her chest as she realized that she was not alone. She strained to see through the darkness, but the creature was just out of sight.

Her heart raced as she felt the sudden presence of a massive shark looming near the underwater cage she was locked in. She had always been fascinated by the creatures of the sea, but now, as she watched the creature circle her cage with a menacing intensity, she couldn't help but feel a sudden wave of terror washed over her.

Her breath came in short gasps as she tried to keep her cool, but her hands shook as she clutched the bars of the cage. The shark's powerful body seemed to dwarf her, its razor-sharp teeth and piercing eyes making her feel small and vulnerable in comparison.

As the shark drew closer, Mae's mind raced with thoughts of what could happen if the cage were to fail. She knew that sharks were notoriously unpredictable, and that one wrong move could mean disaster. But despite the fear that gripped her, she couldn't help but feel a strange sense of awe at the magnificent creature before her.

The guests also watched the shark swim circles around the cage, they couldn't help but admire the way its sleek body moved effortlessly through the water. Its skin was a deep shade of gray, with hints of shimmering silver that caught the light as it swam.

But as quickly as the awe had come, it was replaced with a renewed sense of fear as the shark suddenly lunged towards the cage, its teeth gnashing wildly. Mae recoiled in terror, pressing herself against the farthest corner of the cage as she prayed for the creature to move on.

Mae's eyes fixed on the massive shark that circled around her. She could feel her heart racing as she struggled to keep her breathing under control, her chest heaving as she tried to calm herself down.

Without warning, the shark lunged towards her, its jaws snapping shut with incredible force.

With trembling fingers, she fumbled for the latch on the cage, her heart ripping out of her rib cage as she desperately tried to free herself. But no matter how hard she pulled and tugged, the cage remained firmly locked, holding her prisoner in the inky depths.

"Help me! Help!!" she cried out in her oxygen mask.

"Don't you think we should pull her up?" Jenner asked Jade as anxiety grew.

"Relax... the shark can't penetrate this metallic cage. If only you know what material this is made of, you wouldn't feel so uneasy" Jade responded to her friend.

The shark aggressively jammed the metallic cage relentlessly, struggling to get its way in. The bars of the cage felt like they were closing in on her, suffocating her in their embrace.

With a fierce cry of determination, Mae summoned all her strength and began to pound on the bars of the cage with all her might. Each blow sent a ringing shockwave through her arms, but she refused to give up, hammering away at the metal.

For a moment, Mae felt a sense of despair, thinking that she was doomed to die there, alone and helpless in the darkness. But then, something inside her shifted, a deep and primal sense of determination and will that welled up from deep within her.

As the shark persistently jammed the cage, snapping its jaw at her, she reacted with lightning-fast reflexes, dodging to the side and delivering a powerful blow to the shark's snout. The impact stunned the shark, sending it reeling back in surprise.

She used this momentary advantage to her full advantage, springing forward with a flurry of punches and kicks that landed with deadly accuracy. The shark thrashed and writhed, trying to escape her onslaught, but Mae remained determined and focused.

With each blow, she felt a sense of exhilaration, knowing that she was fighting for her survival against a creature that could easily kill her. It went south when she saw more sharks swimming toward the cage.

"Oh no, oh no, this is bad" she panicked within herself.

Mae took deep, slow breaths, trying to calm her racing heart as she assessed the situation. She knew that she had to be careful and think things through if she wanted to make it out of this alive.

Her purple eyes sparked as she elevates in the cage. She stretched out her hands vibrantly with electric waves flowing in her body. Soon the water began to boil and steam vapor fogged the atmosphere.

The guests were astounded, wondering what was going on beneath the sea. The water was heating up, soon blood began to spread on the surface of the sea.

"What is going on? Pull her up! Pull her up now!!" Chen yelled at Jade.

The entertainer turned the handle sluggish and the cage pulled up gradually. Recognizing the handle stopped turning "It is stuck" he yelled out.

"What do you mean it is stuck?" Chen rushed in and took over from him, pushing him out of the way. He turned the handle forcefully to pull up the cage from the sea and it broke, causing the cage to sink more inside the deep blue sea.

The guest began to panic as tension arise. Chen could not bare to see Mae die in a pool of blood. His pupils dilated as he thought of his next action.

He rushed to the edge of the deck, drawing out the cage with all his strength. He tried and tried pulling it up, not minding as the chain wrapped around his palm sliced through his skin.

The paparazzi became aggressive in their pursuit of the perfect shot, jostling for position and shouting out directions to get Chen to look in their direction. Chen found them annoying but totally ignored them. Some threw questions at him, others tried to get the attention of Jade, asking if it was safe to make her classmate dance with sharks underwater.

Jade couldn't help feeling a sense of unease. She knew that any misstep, any moment of vulnerability, would be captured on film and broadcast for the world to see. It was the price of fame, but that didn't make it any easier to bear.

"He has great strength like the Wolf-monkeys." Liang's eyes broadened as he thought in astonishment, watching Chen pull the cage with all his might.

Soon they could see sharks floating in the sea with barbecued skin. The guest could not define what their eyes behold.

"This would make thirsty headline" one of the paparazzi thought as he adjusted his long lenses to capture the sea from a distance.

Chen pulled up the cage, not waiting to take the key from the entertainer, he bent the bars of the cage with his bare hands and broke in. Jaws dropped, as the guest looked dumbfounded to witness his massive strength.

He pulled Mae out of the cage and shook her out of her subconscious state as he talked to her, taking off her oxygen mask "Mae, Mae, are you okay? Can you see me?" Chen snapped his finger repeatedly at her faint vision.

Her head was laid on his laps, her body soaked and shivering as the guests crowded around her.

Her chest heaved with each ragged breath, and her eyes fluttered open and closed as she struggled to regain her strength. The people around her spoke in hushed tones, their faces drawn with concern as they looked down at her.

For a moment, Mae felt a sense of disorientation and confusion, wondering how she had ended up on the yacht and who these people were. But then, slowly, the memories of her ordeal began to flood back, and she felt a sense of fear and panic gripping her once again.

Later, a sense of exhaustion washes over her, her muscles aching from the effort of the fight. But despite the pain and the danger, she also felt a sense of triumph, knowing that she had emerged victorious against one of the deadliest predators in the ocean.

"Chen..." she managed to respond in a croaked voice, barely audible. She felt his face and her lips slightly quirked up.

Chen sighed with relief on hearing her voice. "I'm so glad you are okay" he said with his face lit up.

Mae tried to sit up, but a sharp pain shot through her body. She winced and fell back onto Chen.

"Take it easy" Chen said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "You're still weak from the ordeal you went through. Just rest in my arms."

Mae nodded, her eyes closing as exhaustion washed over her.

The crowd gathered around to check on her. With great relief, they felt keen she wasn't wounded.

"How is there no scratch on her?" Liang stood with his hands in his pocket, trying to solve the math as he observed her whole body. "She is not bleeding. How come there is blood in the ocean?".

Liang rushed back to the edge of the deck, looking down at the sharks floating in a pool of blood "Was it the Amethyst? Does she have it on her?" he pondered.

He walked back to the spot Mae was lying and lifted her weak body from the ground, carrying her in bridal style.

"Her clothes are soaking wet. She might catch a cold out here. Let me take her to her cabin" Liang said to Chen.

Chen looked up at Liang with a furrowed brow and a doubtful expression. His eyes narrowed as he tried to process the implication of leaving Mae in this feeble state.

Before Chen could respond, his index finger began to spasm, along with one side of his face twitching. He knew his medicine has lapsed and working up his body triggered it to expire quickly.

"O-okay, please make sure she is safe" Chen said to Liang.

He hurriedly took an escape boat to the shore. Chen continued to mull over the decision in his mind as the captain paddled him to the sands. He was feeling torn between his doubts and his trust in his classmate's judgement. It was a difficult position to be in, and one that left him feeling uneasy and skeptical about what was to come.

As he got into his Camaro, Chen's face contorted with frustration when he struggled to fix the key into the slot as his fingers convulsed violently.

He turned the key in the ignition of his car, only to hear the engine sputter and fail to start. He tried again, pumping the gas pedal and turning the key with increasing force, but still the car remained stubbornly silent.

With a deep sigh of annoyance, Chen leaned back in his seat, running a hand through his hair as he tried to calm himself down. But then, suddenly, his body jerked and spasmed, a sudden wave of frustration and anger coursing through him.

He pounded his fists on the steering wheel, his knuckles turning white as he let out a string of curses and expletives. The car remained stubbornly silent, mocking him with its refusal to start.

As the seconds ticked by, Chen felt his body begin to tense up, his muscles coiling like a spring as he prepared to give the car one final, desperate try. He turned the key again, his foot pumping the gas pedal with all his might, and this time, with a sudden lurch and a violent roar, the engine finally sprang to life.

He took a deep breath, a smile spreading across his face as he put the car into gear and drove off to the city library.