He killed the last and largest snake with a sharp stone in a split second, threw the carcasses on his back, and headed back. Although the weight of five fleshy snakes pressed down on his back, he knew that he would eat all five practically by himself. Kaelan was very picky about food. No matter how many delicacies were in front of him, he preferred only fresh fruits and vegetables.

Serak always got angry when Kaelan, especially during pregnancy, could bite into an apple and eat it in one bite. At such moments, he would chase everyone away, force the small body onto his lap, and stuff food into it until it started vomiting everything it had swallowed.

These memories sent a pleasant shiver down his spine.

When he reached the front of the cart, Serak slowed his pace. He tried to walk quietly, stepping around the crunchy fallen leaves so as not to wake Kaelan.

If you build a fire on the seashore and watch the sunset sitting on warm rocks, it can set the right mood for the rest of the journey. A thought flashed through Serak's mind that it would be interesting to know what Kaelan was thinking ten years ago. But the idea quickly vanished with the sea breeze.

Approaching the entrance to the cart, Serak threw all the snakes off his shoulder with a swing. The rumble ran through the cart and tilted it slightly to the right, towards the snakes lying on the ground. The noise should have awakened Kaelan, who was sleeping in the corner. With a smug smile, Serak wiped his bloodied hands on his worn jacket.

"Time for breakfast, birdie."

Turning around, he looked at the sea once more. The waves, calm as they seemed from a distance, gave off an unprecedented tranquillity, not foreshadowing any storms. There was no ramp for the cart, so it seemed he would have to walk down.

"Get up."

Once again, but in a more languid voice, the man called out, his gaze fixed on the sea, which drew him in. The untouched beaches and clear water filled with fresh fish were mesmerising. His unfocused, wandering gaze caught sight of a fisherman creeping along the beach. The fisherman seemed to be in a great hurry, because his bare feet were stuck in the sand, and sometimes he limped and almost fell.

How interesting could the fish be that he was in such a hurry? Was it worth trying too?

"You're too quiet."

The long wait and silence began to spoil his mood. Turning around, the man wanted to make sure that the other man was awake, and peering into the darkness, he saw...

"Empty."

Everything around him fell silent. The waves that had been raging just a moment ago became silent.

The grinding of teeth and disbelief in what was happening were deafening. His head suddenly ached, and his body felt like cotton wool.

He took a step back, clutching the edge of the cart with his fingers. But could it hold him in a reality that was suddenly beginning to crumble? His gaze returned to the sea, to the strip of beach and to the lone figure stuck in the sand. It was the same fisherman, hurrying towards the water. The man's stooped shoulders, the familiar curve of his neck even from such a distance, his wrists too thin, which never seemed strong, no matter what bracelets adorned them.

The world jerked.

"No," he managed to think, and in the next moment that thought turned into a cry.

"Kaelan!"

The name burst out so loudly that something heavy seemed to explode in his chest. The air split in two, and everything between them ceased to exist.

For a split second, the man in the distance stopped. But only for a split second. His hobbling across the sand turned into a run.

"Holy shit."

Serak took off, not even remembering how his feet ended up on the path. He could barely see where he was running, jumping over low bushes, crunching dry grass under his feet, stumbling over roots, but he didn't slow down. He crossed several old, crooked poles marking the edge of the road in one leap.

The ground beneath his feet dropped sharply, the slope was steeper than it had seemed from above, and he almost fell headlong off the cliff, trying to keep his balance. Stones broke loose from under his feet, rolled faster than he could and, reaching the sand, scattered in all directions. Serak saw the figure at the edge of the sea already waist-deep in the water.

"Just try to get away from me, just try," pounded in his head instead of normal thoughts. "I've been looking for you for too long, I've lost too much. I won't let you disappear again."

Where the sand was light and dry, it was easier to run, but just a few steps from the water, he felt the surface change. The sand under his feet became sticky, stringy, like wet clay, his feet sinking deeper than he expected, and every step became a struggle. He sank ankle-deep, then knee-deep, and pulled his leg out sharply, feeling as if someone were holding the top of his shoe from below.

"Damn you," he croaked, breaking free from the quicksand and not taking his eyes off the silhouette already disappearing into the water.

Kaelan moved unnaturally smoothly and calmly, as if he felt neither the resistance of the water nor the weight of his own clothes. The water was already almost up to his chest, his hair stuck to his neck and shoulder blades, his thin shirt darkened and stretched, clinging to his torso.

"Kaelan! Turn around!"

 The cry was almost a gasp. The wind caught it and carried it across the beach, but the fisherman's shoulders did not twitch and his head did not turn. It was as if the voice did not exist for him.

Serak plunged into the water without thinking about how cold it was. The cold lashed his legs, stomach and chest, but it wasn't the temperature that took his breath away. His whole life narrowed down to one movement.. to stretch out his arms, to reach that familiar back, to prevent it from dissolving into the greenish depths.

He caught up with Kaelan when the water was almost up to his armpits. One lunge and his palms landed on his shoulders with such force that bones cracked under his fingers.

The body beneath his hands jerked violently. Kaelan turned to face him, and in his eyes there was panic and helpless rage.

"Let me go!" a hoarse voice burst from his lips.

Before Serak could respond, Kaelan’s nails dug into his face. His surprisingly strong fingers slashed across his skin, tearing it from his cheekbone to his cheek and further down to his neck. The pain flared up as salt water splashed on the wounds.

"Damn..." he exhaled, instinctively squinting in pain, but not letting go.