Page 2 of Guided by the Stars (Creating Destiny #1)

Nora

When the Sea Summons

The night’s darkness stretches across the sky above us, a backdrop of bright stars washing over the shimmering waters below. An artwork bringing the enormous ocean to life, shining bright and hiding the secrets lurking in the depths of the sea.

“Are you ready?” Adriane asks, interlacing our hands.

My eyes turn to meet hers and I nod to my best friend. “More than ready, A!”

Together we run, letting the glow from the moon light the path ahead as we pick our spots on the beach and toss our sandals to the side. With our towels on the ground, we plant ourselves down and I bury my feet, enjoying the cool kiss of the sand between my toes.

“I can’t believe we’re here!” Adriane squeals, sitting next to me with a gigantic smile across her face.

With a nod, I scoop up a handful of sand, feeling the soft, tiny granules slipping through my fingers.

“I can’t believe it myself,” I say, agreeing with her.

This trip was a graduation gift from Bill and Jane, who knew we’ve dreamed about this day a thousand times.

Now, sitting here next to Adriane under the moon in Greece, it’s surreal.

My gaze travels along the beach, finding a sense of lightness within me. Everything around us is perfect. It’s quiet and peaceful. The only noise is the gentle splash of waves connecting with the breeze and folding softly onto the shore.

With a smile on my face, I lean forward, feeling the familiar tingle of excitement.

Not wanting to waste a single minute, I stand and reach my hand out for Adriane.

“Come on, it’s time to swim!” She needs no convincing, letting me pull her up with ease and we fall into step beside each other, racing toward the shore’s edge.

We stare with wonder at the scenery before us, bringing peace into our hearts. We live close to the beach in California, but it doesn’t compare to knowing that you are staring at a body of water you’ve never touched before with the moonlight shining bright above it.

The stunning view spans miles with untold secrets waiting to be discovered.

It’s one reason we love the ocean so much.

Beneath the surface, creatures like dolphins, fish, and whales swim between the unsolved mysteries of sunken ships, hidden caves, and even death.

It’s a world different from ours, begging to be explored.

All you have to do is dive under and something new will always be there to uncover, even if it’s just about yourself.

I take a deep breath in, the salty air hitting my tongue, and we rush into the cool water.

It’s not as cold as the shore I grew up next to, but the gentle breeze of the night sweeps tiny goosebumps across my skin and a peaceful smile spreads over my face.

This is the moment I needed. The escape I longed for, a new beach without the painful reminders.

Adriane tugs my hand, halting me in place, and I spin toward her. “You ready, Nor?”

I smile and nod, giving her hand a quick squeeze. “Three…two…one!”

We suck in a lungful of air and dive beneath the surface. It’s clear on the top, but the deeper we go, the dimmer the ocean gets, only giving us dark silhouettes of the sand below.

As usual, we keep up with each other and, swimming side by side, we breach the surface. I look back, finding myself surprised and slightly worried. We’re further from shore than I thought. It’s late and dark, maybe we shouldn’t have gone this far.

I turn to ask Adriane, but get a face full of water instead. “Hey!” I shriek, laughing as I rub the salty water from my eyes and blink away the sting.

“Nora…” Adriane calls. The fear in her voice sends a shiver down my spine and my eyes open wide, realizing the splash wasn’t Adriane at all.

She’s turned away from me, frozen in place, and my breath catches in my throat, following her gaze.

The once-calm waters are swirling around us with whitecaps in every direction, ready to trap us.

Like Adriane, I’m stunned, rooted in place, with every vein in my body pulsing hard as fear sweeps over me. Then the shaking, soft touch on my cold arm snaps me back into the moment and I focus on following Adriane’s lead, pumping my legs as hard as I can to stay above the surface.

“What are we going to do—” I attempt to ask, when a wave crashes over, separating us, throwing us beneath the surface. My arm instinctively reaches forward, gripping Adriane’s hand in mine as we both frantically kick our feet with all our strength to bring us up above the water.

I cough, spitting out water while turning around, trying desperately to find the shore. I squint, thinking I see land, but water dumps over us once more, and we’re pushed under the surface yet again.

The undertow yanks me backwards, forcing me to spiral without direction and my hand unlatches from Adriane’s. I fight to find it again but the water is raging, rolling like a storm, and it has me caught in its eye. It’s violently moving, separating us more, and making it unable for me to escape.

The sea changes directions, forcing me forward, but I’m jolted back just as quickly when coral embeds itself into my swimsuit, trapping me underwater. Panic rushes through me as I reach down, tugging hard, trying to escape. I twist and turn, flailing my arms around as my mind races with dread.

My eyes shut as I squeeze them tightly together, feeling my heart hammer hard against my chest as thoughts of my past flash through my mind.

I’ve known fear, I’ve faced death. It’s not what I’m most afraid of.

It’s the unknown. The being alone in the dark, trapped without anywhere to run. I don’t want to be trapped again.

I open my eyes, squinting, unable to see anything around me, and my lungs burn.

A dry pain is crawling its way up my chest and into my throat as desperation for air consumes me.

I’m dizzy. My instincts tell me to keep moving, to fight as much as I can, to get out of here, but the more I struggle, the less oxygen I have. I need to survive.

In an attempt to steady myself, I let flashes of my family’s faces come to my mind. I picture their smiles and remember the laughs we shared. I focus on them and on my will to never disappoint them. I let our happy moments fuel me .

With all the strength I have left, I make one strong tug. Relief washes over me as I feel the fabric tear, but I’m not in the clear. The waters are strong, trapping me back into the whirlwind of their rage and pushing me from all sides.

I release a gasp as the force of a wave collides with my side. The taste of salt burns into my lungs as water seeps in, weighing me down, leaving me at the mercy of the seawater. Then another powerful surge hits, taking my body further under. I’m weak, tired, and caught beneath it’s hold.

I’m sorry mom and dad. I’m just not strong enough.

Defeated, I let my body sink. I’m trapped, fully aware that I’m drowning. The tears mix with the burn of the water as I settle into my fate, when suddenly I’m propelled above the surface with movement of the tow.

My head spins with weakness as I choke, trying to take in air with labored breaths.

The pain is unbearable, everything is burning, yet I force my eyes open at the new chance of survival.

I squint, scanning the surface of the ocean looking for Adriane.

She’s out here somewhere. I can’t let her be left alone in fear.

A burst of movement above catches my eye and my gaze darts towards the stars in the sky, blinking against the sting of the light.

Somehow they are shining brighter than before, twinkling rapidly against the darkness of the night, bringing comfort.

My tense body relaxes against the steady flow of the water as a welcome calm strikes through me.

It’s an oddly peaceful moment, like the stars themselves are shifting in my presence and releasing a spark of tranquility to bring everything into alignment.

It’s as if I’m connected to whatever greater purpose this life has to bring.

I sigh, but the calm quickly evaporates when reality crashes over me as another wave in the distance crashes with vengeance .

With hazy eyes I scan the water quickly, catching a flash of red in the corner of my eye and croak out, “Adriane!” before both of us are pulled back under.

Hair clings to my face as I’m spun around, but I keep my eyes open, fighting the pressure of the sting. Everywhere I look it’s crashing water mixing with oxygen. White foam with the deep blue sea forbidding me to see far. Everything is disappearing as I’m being trapped in the dark yet again.

I can’t do this again. I’m too weak.

Just then, a faint trickle of light appears, along with the feeling of hope, as I hear a whisper from behind.

I spin around quickly towards the soft voice, but Adriane isn’t there.

Confused, I spin around more, not seeing a living creature in sight.

Hallucination or not, I let it power me.

I can feel it, my instincts telling me she’s still alive and out there.

Adriane, I’m coming.

With adrenaline kicking in, I swim in the direction the voice came from, willing my lungs to hold out just a little longer. When I break through the water, the flash of her red hair reappears at the exact same time and relief floods through me.

The unforgiving waters don’t let the moment last long. We’re both pulled down again, except this time I know the way. I let my instincts guide me, and kicking with all the power I have left in me, I don’t stop until I spot her through the waves.

She’s surrounded by jagged coral, with her back towards me as she tries to turn herself around. The moment she does, her eyes flash and she angles her body toward mine, reaching out as if to grab me.

I swim harder, and the closer I get, the more my body responds with an unusually comforting warm tingle that vibrates along my skin.

It grows stronger by the second, seeping into my skin, reassuring me and bringing hope.

I use it, letting its power give me the strength I need to push through this last bit of distance.

With Adriane in front of me, I reach my arm out and tug her by the hand away from the coral. Using our combined strength, we push through the surface as one and I wrap my arms around her. I hold on tight, finding relief flooding through me.

“Are you okay?” Adriane asks as we pull away from each other. It’s only then that I notice the difference. It’s the calm of the storm. The water peacefully reflects the moon from above and glistens with the gentle breeze.

“I think so. Are you?” I ask softly, despite that we’re still treading in water. Us being together brings a comforting reassurance. I’m grateful that she wasn’t taken away from me as well. “I was so worried when we separated.”

She brings her hands up and rubs the back of her head. “I was fighting to get back to you and hit my head. Otherwise I’m fine. What the fuck was that?” she asks, looking around with the same uncertainty I feel.

I shrug, having no idea how to explain this. I’ve grown up with water, swimming with my mom at night. Never once have I seen an ocean like this. “Let’s get back to shore before whatever the hell just happened comes back.”

She nods, agreeing, and we swim together cautiously, only stopping once we wrap ourselves in towels, collapsing on the beach.

Tired, I lay my head on Adriane’s shoulder as we sit side by side in a daze.

My body is aching and my lungs are burning in a pit of fire.

The exhaustion is hitting deep in my bones, making my head feel heavy, but I have no desire to move.

“Are you okay?” Adriane asks as we pull away from each other.

This whole night has been a turbulent whirlwind making everything around me feel different.

With a deep sigh I replay this whole night.

I can’t explain what just happened. It was terrifying having the sea turn on us, almost claiming our lives.

Yet here I sit, without any fear. I’m not numb.

I’m not scared. Instead, I feel enlightened.

My instincts are surging, more powerful than ever before and telling me this moment was destined to be, changing something within me.

Like a secret being unlocked, that the ocean chose to reveal just for us.

A change that lifted a weight, letting me breathe freely for the first time in years, despite the salt still burning my throat.

Adriane breaks me from my thoughts with her soft voice that’s now slightly raspy, “How did you find me? I looked for you, but the waves were too high to see anything—” She shudders before continuing, “When I was pulled under, everything was bright, this stunning shade of turquoise, and I remember thinking ‘how can something so beautiful try to kill me’.”

“I heard you calling me.” I lift my head and turn to look at her bright blue eyes.

“You must have been screaming loud. I can’t believe I heard you under the water,” I say, sounding ridiculous.

I’m confused at how this is possible, but I am positive I heard a voice and could sense someone around me.

It was as real as her talking to me right now.

“Nor!” Adriane’s voice grows serious. “I didn’t call for you. Hell, I could barely grab enough air to survive the goddamn storm.”

I shrug, rolling my eyes at myself. “I guess fight or flight really can do funny things to you. Like seeing and hearing things that are not there. Because I sure as hell don’t remember the water being bright and blue,” I say with a small laugh, nudging her. “Do you want to go back to the hotel? ”

She stands abruptly and nods. “I don’t even want to think about water, but I’m definitely having a shower when we get back. Scalding water in a place where I can stand up and not drown sounds good right about now.” I giggle and get up to help her collect our things.

We look at the ocean one more time before we leave the beach and head back to our hotel room. Not even day one and we’ve already survived an angry sea. I hope this isn’t a sign for how our vacation will turn out.