139
''Phuuu.''
Jerouch's lungs gulped in the moist, salty air, his chest rising and falling with the rhythm of his labored breaths.
His heart hammered against his ribcage, a relentless beat that resonated in his ears.
He struggled to his feet, fingers digging into the wet sand as he dragged himself out of the water's embrace, his muscles protesting the effort.
With a final push, he managed to pull himself onto the beach, his body heavy and drenched.
He collapsed onto the damp sand, limbs sprawled in exhaustion as he gasped for air, the sound of the waves crashing against the shore a distant backdrop to his own labored breathing.
The sight of the land before him filled Jerouch with an overwhelming surge of joy, a sensation he hadn't anticipated.
He realized in that moment just how much he had yearned for the stability of solid ground beneath his feet.