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It was cold. Far too horribly cold. But it didn’t feel wrong, though.
There was darkness all around her, and she felt like she couldn’t move. A strange, unnatural pressure surrounded her, as if she wasn’t floating on air but amidst something denser, different.
In the fog that was her memory, she recognized this sensation as something pleasant. Although Cornelia didn’t know where she was or what was happening, she knew by raw instinct that this was right.
She attempted to open her eyes, squinting at first, trying to make out whatever she could among the darkness. There was something on her, blurry and distorted, a distant source of light that barely did its job. She finally tried to move, the place she was in opposing some slight resistance against her but not completely keeping her from doing so. Just like she thought, the light was too faint. She couldn’t even make out her hand, only the vaguest silhouette of it coming into view when she deliberately raised it and put it in contrast with the source of the useless illumination.
Cornelia suddenly realized, in all the minutes she’d been there, she hadn’t breathed. Not even once. As the thought hit her, shock overtook her mind and body, and she gasped and wheezed in desperate need of air, but all that came out were bubbles, no oxygen going into her lungs-
Bubbles?
Everything became clear in a single instant, reality crashing down on her too hard for comfort. Water. She was floating underwater, deep enough for sunlight to be afraid of reaching such a place. She didn’t need to breathe, of course she didn’t, but not because she was a Witch of the Sea, or anything remotely close to that-
-It was because she was dead.
No way. There was no way, was there? If she was dead, where was she? What was happening? More and more memories were slowly flowing into her brain, the pain of seeing Emily reject her and stab her vividly surfacing to the front of her mind as the scene played out in front of her eyes, almost like a movie. What was going on? Was this how death felt like? But if so, why was she there, floating underwater and feeling practically alive?
Something in the back of her mind told her there was a perfectly logical reason for her to be in the depths of this mystical ocean after being stabbed by her sister and blacking out. Indeed, this was the embrace of death so many people liked to fantasize about. It wasn’t the light at the end of the tunnel she was expecting, but somehow it didn’t feel inherently wrong either.
She was a Witch of the Sea. That was the only completely believable explanation. This was where she naturally belonged, then... well, she didn’t mind falling into her eternal slumber and sinking into the darkness if she had the chance to be inside her element forever. It was better than disappearing, and it was relatively better than going to "heaven" or "hell", that is, if they ever existed to begin with.
So, closing her eyes, she let herself drift away. She would be able to rest, and maybe after a hundred years, she would be able to make peace with herself, her sister, and her family. All she could do now was sleep.
ー Not exactly.
An otherworldly voice broke the stillness of the water, reverberating all around Cornelia like the echo of a singing whale. She snapped her eyes open, the loud words surprising and scaring her at the same time.
ー This is no moment to sink, my child. ー the voice spoke again, just as booming as the first time. The Witch was wide eyed, paralyzed and staring into nothingness, but somehow aware of what was going on. She didn't know that voice, she had never heard it before, and yet, she just knew. ー There is a war coming to the realm you just left, a war beyond what normal humans could ever hope to understand. This isn't the moment to peacefully float away, this is the moment for the waves to rise, for the land to bow, for the sea to go back where it rightfully belongs.
Cornelia knew who this was. How couldn't she?
ーMy Spirit…ー she whispered, the effort taking all her energy away.
ー My child, I am Karmin. And I want you to rise like a tsunami and wipe out everything and everyone that dares stand on my way.
The idea of a war was crazy in itself. The idea of the Spirits being in war was crazier.
The idea of Karmin calling her forth to fight by her side was the crazy topping every other crazy. This was pure madness- this was the second chance she wanted.
ーWho… is your enemy…?
ー The Moon itself.
Cornelia smiled.
ーI will fight.
And the true power of water was able to bring the drowned Witch back to life.