Clawing my way

I find my way to consciousness again, the suffocating weight of the water pressing down on me.

Desperation fuels my every movement as I claw upwards, my hands scrabbling against the thick, viscous liquid, nails breaking, fingers bleeding.

I push past the pain, past the searing agony in my lungs, determined to break free this time.

The voices are louder, more frantic, as if they sense my struggle.

Ś̵̡̧̨̢̛̛̤̙̼̻̪̝̺̮͚̞͓̫̪̝̠͇̠̩͕͕̻̲̬̟̰̖̲͇͍̼̀̓̆͌́͛̓̔̊̍͒̑͂̃͌̊͊̃̊̾͊͐̑̆̏̌̿̌̋̕͜͜͜͝͝͝ͅt̸̛̤͙͓̪͚̞̱̮̗̰̳͎̦̗͖̣͉̣͖̰̭̆̌͑̽̒̆̃̽̌͂̂͛̒̈́̽̋̆̋̎͗̓̓̍̋̿̈͘͘͜͝ͅå̷̧̨̛̬̻̙̪̙̗̬̻͚̪͕͙͕͇̗̘̼̳͋̄̈́͐͜ͅẏ̸̨̧̫̼̙͔̗̯̩̟̜͚͑̈͌̑͜͜ ̵̨̧̧̠͔̦̭̜̭̰͈̺͚̦̼̝̯͎̰͕̮̻̙͖̰̳̼͍̦̤͓̤̭̰͌̑̇̓͜ş̸̨̢̡̞͉̙͕̦̜̙̯̞̮̬̥̳̖̝̹̝̝͕͓̜͚̬͖̘̠͖͓̖̫̗̯̯̰̜̺̠̒̎͐̋̏̀̐̃͛̎̓͋̉͗̿̚͘͝ͅt̶̛̛̪̥̥͚̞̝͙̩̹͒̅̈́́̈́͑̈̏̉̐̓̂̂̌̾̈́͌̔̎̋͛͑̆̂͂͘̚ͅi̷̧̡̡̨̛̲̮͍̥͙͖̰͈̱̰̤̥͎̜̖̖͓͈̫̪͇͍̼͓͖̲̣̭̜̣̹̙͖̬̜͖̻̗͐̈́͛̉͆͛͗̆̓̽̅͗́͆̈̓̉̈́̓̈́̑͗̋̓̃̅̇͊̏͒͑͗̽͜͝͝͝ḷ̴̢͕̤͓̖̖͍͙̙̣̠̭͇̪͍͐̐̆͌͂̑͘̚͝ͅļ̸͇͍͍̞̳̝̣̯̫̞̘͍͎̥͙͈̝̙̠͍̂̽̍́͋̾͒̑̈́̔̎̃̕͜

They scream in my ears, a torrent of noise that makes my head throb and my ears bleed.

I grit my teeth and push on, my legs kicking furiously, my arms pulling me towards what I hope is the surface.

I can see a faint glimmer above me, a promise of air, of escape.

■̸̡̛̛̛̛̻̯̲͍̗̞͕̭͚͓̞̺̹̙͚̤̙̹̂̾̐̓̎́͛̑̊̌̃̑̉̅̋́̌͌͊̈́̊̾̏̈́̌̉̊́̌̌̃́̊̋͗̈́̄̅̎́͒́̈͊̀͆̏̂̎̀͐̋͊̓̄̉͌͂͂̈́̈́̈́̒̐̓̾͐̾̎͌͗̏̓̊̿̌̈́̒͐̆́̓̊̓̏̈́̃̈́̄͒̒͑͑̒̽͑̅̾͗͛̐̿̒̓͂͆͂̕̕̚̚̕͘͘͘͘̚͠͝͠͝͝͝͝͝͝͝ͅ■̵̛̤͚̪̙͍͕͎̺͓̗̻̲̪̂͆͛͗̔̑̀̍͂̿͆̓̃̅̏̇̍͊̓̔́̌͒́̏̋̅̈́̅͑̈́͌̂́̀̀͌̐̓͐̓̀̒̓̿͐̐̈́̐͊̈́̋̄̉͋̔̽̓͛͘͘̚̚̚̕͝■̶̨̡̢̧̡̧̢̧̛̯̳̤̘̳̞͎̠̥̮̲͚̝̰̳͓̻̰͔͇̬̥̦̻̥̱̣̖̩̻̤͓̭̬̗̳̺͙͍̭̳̘͓͓͉̩͈͖̼̳̦͈͕͓͍̮̲̪͇̏̐̿͒̈́̑̀̓̇͊̉̈͂̏͌̋̓́̋̄̄̉́͒̂͂̇͌̎̇̔͆̈́͛̎͒̆̔̌͊͆̍̉̀̾̉͋̊̾̀̋͐̆̍̀̾̒̀͌̾̀̈̔̾́̑͆͑͒͒̂̔̋̌͋̍͑́͒̀̿̂̎̄̂̎̍͆͋́̕̚͘̚͘̕̕̕̕͘͘͜͜͝͝͠͠͝ͅ■̸̡̢̡̨̧̨̧̢̧̢̡̡̨̧̢̧̢͖̭̥͉̫̥͔͚̪̜͎̞̮̩͇̱̤̼̺͎̘̹̗̗͍̦̖̦͇͕̫̰̦̠̮͚̱̹̦̻̯̠̱̥͎̝͕͎̱̦͉̳̲̳̝̙̥̖̲̯͍̹̮̗̞͍̭̠͉͙̘̫̭̪͕̭̣͚͙͇̖̭͔̯͇͇̞̟͉̺͈̺͎͕̹̯̬̥̪͕͙̣̣̗̬͖̹̝͎̩̻̜͇͉̟̺̮̥̪̖̝̱͓̤͇͈̫͈͚̤̭̗̗̹͚̰̙̈́͐͑̓̈́͛̀̊̈́̍̆͌̇̇̀́̄́͊̊̆͛̅͗̊̌̈́̈́͆̏͒̏̈́͂̃̿͛̿̅̈́͜͜͝͠ͅͅͅͅ■̸̢̧̡̢̛̛̛̱͇͕̯̳͈̮͇͍̲̝̗̙̘̙̲͉̘͍̻̙͓̺̺͚͙̠̦̠̗̜̣͍͍̖̗̥̩̪͖͈̫͕̬͙͙̳͕̫̗͕̬̭̜̥͉̲̺̦̘̖̗̲͚̭̯̖͇̼̣̝͎̝̟͚̤̝͔͔̜̜͔͉̹̻͔̝̼̰̲̾̈̈̓̅̓̐̿̊̂̀̒̋̓͊̆̆̈̌̓͛̀̓̇̿̃͂̈́̓̈̊͒̈́͋͑̐̏̏̏̀̈́̈́̒̽͐̈̅͂̔̊́̍́̒̆́̂͋͒̍̂͊̈́̈̚̚̚͜͝͠͝ͅ■̷̧̨̨̨̢̢̛̞̺̪̼̪̪̦̳̲̳̭͙̙͈͙̯͎̟͈͓̪̝̝̦̯̘̜͙͉̻̼͈̱̺̰͈̘̟̣̖̣̪̟̘̣̹͇̣̱̤̫̠͉̳̹̳͚̗̳͔̫̞̩̪̤͚̟͍͔̳̮̣͈̙̱̺̼͍̻̠̟̫̟͈̜̫̭̀̈͑̀́̆̀͂͊͋́̀̎̏́̇̊̀̈́̾̋͂̎̾͒̐̀̾̽̆͌̑̓̈́̌͗̀̽̔̍̽̽̚̕̚͘͜͜͝͝͝͝ͅͅͅͅͅͅ■̴̡̧̨̨̨̛̛̛͎̜̦̟̜̙͍̯͕͔͎͚̤̯̣̣̬̬̼̬̼͕͙̙̜̬̤̳̭̪͕͉̱͓͉͇̈́̈́̏́̈́̄̒͊̑̄́̃̓̑̍̀̈͂͐͗̓̿̎̉́́́̆̐́̇͗̃̽̎̋̿̆̊͑̃̎̓͗̋́̆̐́̂̏́̀̎̀̅̅͐̿͐̈̐͋́̋͐̀̆̄̈̆̈́̋̓͊͋̓̔̌̂̎͐̅̄̐͂̊̃̈́̈́̔͆́̏̆́̍̓͋̓́̇̑͌̏͆͐͂͛̈́̉͊̀̇̋̾̏̈̀̎͐̃̕͘̚͘̚̕̕̕̚̚͝͠͠͝͠͝͝͝͝ͅͅ■̶̨̨̢̧̢̨̛̛̛̩͔̰̼̹̦͓̠̹̟̳̜͓̦̙̱͖͇̬̫͎̞̟̮̘̈́͋̆̓́́̊̀̾̔́͒̉̃̄̿̈̃̾͒̿̅̽̎̍̄̄̈́̈́̏̌͂̈́͋̅̒͒̄̎͗̉͒͒́͐̍͐̔̐́̅́̅̿́̍̽̉̽͛̐̅̔̓͋͑̐͛͆̇̃̃͊̍̾̊͑͊͋̈́́͛̕̕͘͘̚̕͘͝͠͝͝͠͝͝ͅͅ■̷̛̛̛̛͔̥͚͙̣̫̪̬̯̜̼̭͍͈̣̖̖̘̤͎̮̱̼͙̑͂́̄̅̀͂̀͒̏̿̈́̀̏͒̍͗͒̽̈͆̈̒̍̇̒͐̏̈̔͒̈́̈̂̇́́̂̂̄́́̊̈́̑͋̀́̃̇̌̾̇̊͐͑́̇̅͑͛̿̆̔̾̓͌͆͆̽̅̀̀̑̌̑͐́́͒̿̏̔̔͊̎́̈́̿̔̾̾̋̉̀̿̿̎̌͑̆̈́̀̐̓̍̂́̾́̀͒́̏̔̊͛̾͘͘̕̚͘͘̕̕͝͠͝͝͠͝͝͠■̸̠̮̜̞̞̜͈̭̪̖̻͉̀͌͑̄̐̃̿̐́̐̆͗̈́͆͛͋̀͂̋̂͊̈̐̽̀̃́͂̔̐͆͑́̃͋̾̎͛͒͑̅͒͛̌̃̓̅̅̌̆̃͋̔̈̌͗̂̌̀̔̄̑́̍̀̈́̈́͂̃̉͂̈́̔̏̓̋̄͌͌̉̌̇̋̀̕͘̕͘͘͘͘̕̕͘̚̕͠͝͝͠͝͠͠͠

My vision blurs and darkens, but I keep reaching, keep fighting.

My lungs burn, every breath a battle, every inch a victory. Just a little further, I tell myself.

Just a little more.

But the weight is too much.

My strength is fading.

My limbs are heavy, my movements going sluggish.

■̸̡̛̛̛̛̻̯̲͍̗̞͕̭͚͓̞̺̹̙͚̤̙̹̂̾̐̓̎́͛̑̊̌̃̑̉̅̋́̌͌͊̈́̊̾̏̈́̌̉̊́̌̌̃́̊̋͗̈́̄̅̎́͒́̈͊̀͆̏̂̎̀͐̋͊̓̄̉͌͂͂̈́̈́̈́̒̐̓̾͐̾̎͌͗̏̓̊̿̌̈́̒͐̆́̓̊̓̏̈́̃̈́̄͒̒͑͑̒̽͑̅̾͗͛̐̿̒̓͂͆͂̕̕̚̚̕͘͘͘͘̚͠͝͠͝͝͝͝͝͝͝ͅ■̵̛̤͚̪̙͍͕͎̺͓̗̻̲̪̂͆͛͗̔̑̀̍͂̿͆̓̃̅̏̇̍͊̓̔́̌͒́̏̋̅̈́̅͑̈́͌̂́̀̀͌̐̓͐̓̀̒̓̿͐̐̈́̐͊̈́̋̄̉͋̔̽̓͛͘͘̚̚̚̕͝■̶̨̡̢̧̡̧̢̧̛̯̳̤̘̳̞͎̠̥̮̲͚̝̰̳͓̻̰͔͇̬̥̦̻̥̱̣̖̩̻̤͓̭̬̗̳̺͙͍̭̳̘͓͓͉̩͈͖̼̳̦͈͕͓͍̮̲̪͇̏̐̿͒̈́̑̀̓̇͊̉̈͂̏͌̋̓́̋̄̄̉́͒̂͂̇͌̎̇̔͆̈́͛̎͒̆̔̌͊͆̍̉̀̾̉͋̊̾̀̋͐̆̍̀̾̒̀͌̾̀̈̔̾́̑͆͑͒͒̂̔̋̌͋̍͑́͒̀̿̂̎̄̂̎̍͆͋́̕̚͘̚͘̕̕̕̕͘͘͜͜͝͝͠͠͝ͅ■̸̡̢̡̨̧̨̧̢̧̢̡̡̨̧̢̧̢͖̭̥͉̫̥͔͚̪̜͎̞̮̩͇̱̤̼̺͎̘̹̗̗͍̦̖̦͇͕̫̰̦̠̮͚̱̹̦̻̯̠̱̥͎̝͕͎̱̦͉̳̲̳̝̙̥̖̲̯͍̹̮̗̞͍̭̠͉͙̘̫̭̪͕̭̣͚͙͇̖̭͔̯͇͇̞̟͉̺͈̺͎͕̹̯̬̥̪͕͙̣̣̗̬͖̹̝͎̩̻̜͇͉̟̺̮̥̪̖̝̱͓̤͇͈̫͈͚̤̭̗̗̹͚̰̙̈́͐͑̓̈́͛̀̊̈́̍̆͌̇̇̀́̄́͊̊̆͛̅͗̊̌̈́̈́͆̏͒̏̈́͂̃̿͛̿̅̈́͜͜͝͠ͅͅͅͅ■̸̢̧̡̢̛̛̛̱͇͕̯̳͈̮͇͍̲̝̗̙̘̙̲͉̘͍̻̙͓̺̺͚͙̠̦̠̗̜̣͍͍̖̗̥̩̪͖͈̫͕̬͙͙̳͕̫̗͕̬̭̜̥͉̲̺̦̘̖̗̲͚̭̯̖͇̼̣̝͎̝̟͚̤̝͔͔̜̜͔͉̹̻͔̝̼̰̲̾̈̈̓̅̓̐̿̊̂̀̒̋̓͊̆̆̈̌̓͛̀̓̇̿̃͂̈́̓̈̊͒̈́͋͑̐̏̏̏̀̈́̈́̒̽͐̈̅͂̔̊́̍́̒̆́̂͋͒̍̂͊̈́̈̚̚̚͜͝͠͝ͅ■̷̧̨̨̨̢̢̛̞̺̪̼̪̪̦̳̲̳̭͙̙͈͙̯͎̟͈͓̪̝̝̦̯̘̜͙͉̻̼͈̱̺̰͈̘̟̣̖̣̪̟̘̣̹͇̣̱̤̫̠͉̳̹̳͚̗̳͔̫̞̩̪̤͚̟͍͔̳̮̣͈̙̱̺̼͍̻̠̟̫̟͈̜̫̭̀̈͑̀́̆̀͂͊͋́̀̎̏́̇̊̀̈́̾̋͂̎̾͒̐̀̾̽̆͌̑̓̈́̌͗̀̽̔̍̽̽̚̕̚͘͜͜͝͝͝͝ͅͅͅͅͅͅ■̴̡̧̨̨̨̛̛̛͎̜̦̟̜̙͍̯͕͔͎͚̤̯̣̣̬̬̼̬̼͕͙̙̜̬̤̳̭̪͕͉̱͓͉͇̈́̈́̏́̈́̄̒͊̑̄́̃̓̑̍̀̈͂͐͗̓̿̎̉́́́̆̐́̇͗̃̽̎̋̿̆̊͑̃̎̓͗̋́̆̐́̂̏́̀̎̀̅̅͐̿͐̈̐͋́̋͐̀̆̄̈̆̈́̋̓͊͋̓̔̌̂̎͐̅̄̐͂̊̃̈́̈́̔͆́̏̆́̍̓͋̓́̇̑͌̏͆͐͂͛̈́̉͊̀̇̋̾̏̈̀̎͐̃̕͘̚͘̚̕̕̕̚̚͝͠͠͝͠͝͝͝͝ͅͅ■̶̨̨̢̧̢̨̛̛̛̩͔̰̼̹̦͓̠̹̟̳̜͓̦̙̱͖͇̬̫͎̞̟̮̘̈́͋̆̓́́̊̀̾̔́͒̉̃̄̿̈̃̾͒̿̅̽̎̍̄̄̈́̈́̏̌͂̈́͋̅̒͒̄̎͗̉͒͒́͐̍͐̔̐́̅́̅̿́̍̽̉̽͛̐̅̔̓͋͑̐͛͆̇̃̃͊̍̾̊͑͊͋̈́́͛̕̕͘͘̚̕͘͝͠͝͝͠͝͝ͅͅ■̷̛̛̛̛͔̥͚͙̣̫̪̬̯̜̼̭͍͈̣̖̖̘̤͎̮̱̼͙̑͂́̄̅̀͂̀͒̏̿̈́̀̏͒̍͗͒̽̈͆̈̒̍̇̒͐̏̈̔͒̈́̈̂̇́́̂̂̄́́̊̈́̑͋̀́̃̇̌̾̇̊͐͑́̇̅͑͛̿̆̔̾̓͌͆͆̽̅̀̀̑̌̑͐́́͒̿̏̔̔͊̎́̈́̿̔̾̾̋̉̀̿̿̎̌͑̆̈́̀̐̓̍̂́̾́̀͒́̏̔̊͛̾͘͘̕̚͘͘̕̕͝͠͝͝͠͝͝͠■̸̠̮̜̞̞̜͈̭̪̖̻͉̀͌͑̄̐̃̿̐́̐̆͗̈́͆͛͋̀͂̋̂͊̈̐̽̀̃́͂̔̐͆͑́̃͋̾̎͛͒͑̅͒͛̌̃̓̅̅̌̆̃͋̔̈̌͗̂̌̀̔̄̑́̍̀̈́̈́͂̃̉͂̈́̔̏̓̋̄͌͌̉̌̇̋̀̕͘̕͘͘͘͘̕̕͘̚̕͠͝͝͠͝͠͠͠

The voices are deafening now, a relentless assault that drowns out my thoughts, my hope.

My fingers brush the surface, but I can't break through.

The water pulls me back, down into the darkness.

I scream, but it's swallowed by the bloody water.

My last breath is stolen, my last hope extinguished.

The voices laugh, triumphant, as I sink into the abyss again, my body giving up, my mind numbing.

I fought, but it wasn't enough.

=========================

{ Indefinite time later }

I wake again, gasping, the familiar cold grip of the water closing around me.

Every time, I feel a little stronger, a little more determined.

I won't let this hell defeat me.

I claw upwards, my fingers slicing through the murky water, pushing against the suffocating pressure.

The voices are there, louder than before, but I force them to the back of my mind.

I focus on the light above, the promise of air and freedom.

I remember my last attempt.

I got closer that time, my fingertips brushing the surface before the water pulled me back.

This time, I push harder.

My lungs scream for air, my chest feels like it's going to explode, but I don't stop.

I can't stop.

The voices howl in my ears, a cacophony of taunts and screams, but I ignore them.

I kick harder, my legs burning, propelling me upward.

The water feels thicker, denser, like it's fighting me too.

But I fight back.

My nails are broken, my fingers bleeding, but I keep clawing, keep pushing.

I'm closer now.

I can see the light growing, can almost taste the air just out of reach.

The pain is unbearable, my body screaming in protest, but I keep going. I have to.

With each attempt, I get a little better. I remember the movements, the rhythm, the way to slice through the water more efficiently.

I get closer and closer.

This time, my whole hand breaks the surface, and for a brief moment, I taste the sweet, cold air.

It fills me with hope, with determination. I can do this. I will do this.

But the water pulls me back again, dragging me into the depths.

The voices mocking my efforts, but I'm not defeated.

I know I'm getting closer. Each failure is a step forward, a lesson learned. The haze in my mind clears a little each time. I remember more, I fight harder.

I take a deep, painful breath of the bloody water, readying myself for the next attempt.

I won't give up.

I can feel it.

One more try.

One more push.

I will break free. I have to.

I had no recollection of what pushed me this far but i won't sit still till i escape this hell.

As my thoughts get muddled with flashes of destruction and gore, my vision backs into the familiar dark.

=========================

[ Pov : Rudra Nam Ul Nasca ]

The last few days have certainly been interesting.

The reports of Charybdis's devastation continue to flood in, each detailing the chaos it leaves behind.

Human settlements crumble beneath its relentless assault, a testament to its raw power.

Yet, amidst the destruction, I see not a threat, but a pawn for me to use.

"Charybdis" as the humans have foolishly named the beast , from what i sense is the closest thing to a true dragon without the perks of being one.

Its the offspring of Veldora, brought about by saturation of his magicules and embodies the untamed chaos of its parent.

Veldora himself, that troublesome Storm Dragon, has long been a thorn in my side, a problem child that doesn'tserve in my favour.

If I can bend Charybdis to my will, it will serve as a potent tool in my ongoing struggle with guy.

It's path leads inexorably towards my kingdom, as if drawn by some unseen force.

It seeks to challenge the sovereignty of the Eastern Empire, yet little does it know that it will soon fall under my control.

The chaos it spreads can be directed and harnessed to serve my interests.

And it can also seve as an amusement for Velgrynd.

I'm truly a genius.

=========================

Short chapter because of consecutive upload.

If i get free time maybe tomorrow I'll upload another