(Viewpoint: Chetan)
The sound of the waves returns to refresh my thoughts.
Lent.
Regular.
I keep my eyes closed for a few more seconds.
It's so nice.
The sand is still warm beneath my back. The air smells of salt. The waterfall continues to roar in the distance, as it has all night.
For a moment, everything seems simple.
Then my mind fully awakens.
And immediately –
Rome.
My eyes open.
I sit up abruptly.
The sun has barely crossed the horizon. A golden light still covers the beach.
Next to me, Eugene is sleeping soundly, half buried in the sand.
I don't even pay attention to him.
My gaze is already searching further.
Always the same reflex.
The same concern persists.
And I find it.
Several tens of meters away.
Lying on the sand.
Immobile.
I remained frozen for a few seconds.
The wind lifts my hair slightly.
But he doesn't move.
Not a movement.
Not a single one.
That's strange.
I get up slowly.
My stomach tightens.
An unpleasant sensation slides into my chest.
Something wrong.
I start walking, quickly, then faster.
My footsteps sink into the damp sand.
Roum still hasn't reacted.
But usually...
Even in his current condition.
Even when he remained silent.
Even when he seemed absent.
He was backing away.
Always.
No sooner had I approached than he maintained that unhealthy distance.
Always this invisible border.
But this time-
Nothing.
My heart is racing.
I start running.
The sound of my footsteps becomes heavier.
And when I finally reach her…
I stop abruptly and bend down towards him.
My breath catches.
His black arm, it stretched far beyond the arm.
The dark matter is now rising up onto his shoulder.
It goes through his neck.
It covers part of his torso.
Like an illness.
Like something slowly devouring his body.
I fall to my knees in the sand.
– Roum?
No response.
My hand immediately grabbed his wrist.
I'm looking for his pulse.
My fingers are trembling.
A second one.
Two seconds.
Silence
I have a heartbeat.
Weak.
Very weak.
Then another one.
Much too slow.
I abruptly raise my head.
– No…
His chest barely rises, as if each breath requires immense effort.
Large drops of sweat rolled down his face.
His clothes are soaked.
Her forehead is shining.
I place my hand against her skin.
And I remove it immediately.
– Brothel!
It's burning hot.
Not hot.
Burning.
Like a metal plate left in the sun.
I step back slightly.
My heart is pounding against my sides, harder and harder.
– Damn it, roum!
I shake his shoulder.
No reaction.
– Roum!
Still nothing.
The sand is crushing beneath my knees.
I get up abruptly.
– EUGENE!
My voice tears through the beach.
– EUGENE!
The sound of the waterfall seems to disappear.
I can only hear my own heart now.
– EUGENE!
Further away.
A figure suddenly straightens up.
Then he starts running.
I take several steps back.
My hands move up to my face.
In my hair.
I shoot at it.
I'm thinking.
I need to think.
I have to do something.
But what?
I know nothing.
I know absolutely nothing.
I'm watching Roum.
Still motionless.
Her face looks paler than usual.
And this vision tears something from my chest.
If he dies, I die, the mission is over.
Why now?
I grit my teeth.
Eugene finally arrives.
Out of breath.
- What ?
I immediately point to Roum.
– He's not waking up!
Eugene immediately crouched down.
Son regards change.
He takes Roum's wrist.
Then his neck.
Then he placed one ear against her chest.
His expression became serious.
Very serious.
- Shit.
The word pierces me.
- What ?
– His rhythm is bad.
Eugene whispered to me
I feel my stomach clench.
Eugene immediately took off his jacket.
Then he placed his hands on Roum's chest.
And so it begins.
Pressure.
Then another one.
Again.
Again.
The sand is crushed beneath her knees.
Her arms move up and down regularly.
- Come on...
His voice is low.
- Come on…
I take a few steps.
Then others.
Unable to remain still.
My hands cover my face.
I'm breathing too fast.
Much too fast.
I'm looking at the sea.
Then Roum.
Then the sky.
Then again Roum.
My thoughts are racing.
In every sense.
I see the pit again.
The corpses.
The faces.
All my efforts.
I refuse to relive that.
I refuse.
– Wake up...
My voice is trembling.
I didn't even realize I had spoken.
– Wake up, you idiot…
The wind is blowing harder.
I closed my eyes for a few seconds.
– Rome…
Eugene continued on.
His hands beat his chest.
Regularly.
Sweat dripped down his forehead.
- Come on...
The sand is sticking to his arms.
- Come on !
BRANNN''!BRANNNNN! BRANNNNNNN!
A noise.
Distant.
Very far away.
I raise my head.
Something just rumbled.
Like a thunderstorm.
I look at the horizon.
The sky is perfectly clear, though.
Not a cloud in the sky.
Nothing.
Then the sound returns.
Stronger.
This time the entire beach seems to vibrate.
The sand shimmers beneath my feet.
I frown.
— Did you hear that?
Eugene pauses for a second.
The rumbling grows louder.
Again.
Again.
As if the sky itself were tearing apart.
The wind suddenly explodes.
A monstrous gust of wind hits the beach.
The sand immediately flies away.
Thousands of grains whip across my face.
– AAH !
I threw myself on top of Eugene and shielded our eyes with my arm.
Eugene also bends down over Roum.
The waterfall disappears beneath the din.
The noise becomes deafening.
Impossible to think.
It's impossible to hear anything.
I squint.
Through the sand.
Through the wind.
Something is descending from the sky.
A huge shape.
Blanche.
Bright.
My breath is filled with dust.
The rumbling continues.
Always stronger.
Getting closer and closer.
The sea itself seems to recede under the pressure.
Huge waves crash against the shore.
The sand swirls around us.
Then suddenly-
I understand.
My eyes widen.
– …
My heart skipped a beat.
They're finally here, at the best possible time, in folds.
A capsule.
A huge capsule.
She walks straight down towards the beach.
Right towards us.
Finally, I am relieved.