"Thalassa!" The voice calling my name was laced with panic and fury. "Damn it, Thalassa! Open your eyes!"

My eyelids felt impossibly heavy, as if I had lost all control over my body. It was terrifying. Yet, the voice refused to relent.

"Thalassa! Stay with me! Open your eyes!"

With each desperate cry of my name, my awareness began to stir, dragging me back into the unbearable agony that awaited me. Pain—blinding, excruciating—ripped through me. My lungs burned, fighting for breath. ...