The ocean spray dampened Sofia’s clothes as she trudged behind the Dlam who, despite his injuries, was keeping a good pace. She shivered with the cool breeze and wished she had worn something a little warmer and more waterproof.

They had been walking hurriedly down the beach towards the white cliffs where the light was leading, but the sun was rising quickly and Harton was getting anxious.

“Hurry, human! If the light passes, we may not find the entrance!”

Trying to catch her breath and not reveal she was shivering, Sofia shouted back, “My name is Sofia!”

“The light’s moving!” responded the Dlam, ignoring her.

The beach undulated in width, sometimes becoming so narrow that Harton and a very nervous Sofia had to wade in the surf. 

“How much further?” Sofia called, annoyed that her feet were now thoroughly soaked. 

“I think I see it up ahead!”

Sofia looked up to see a grand stone pillar protruding from the water. It stood proudly against the waves, like a sentinel on guard duty. Behind it, another white cliff pushed out into the open ocean as if reaching for a departing beloved.

The light from the archway was moving down the sentinel and rested at the foot of the cliff. 

Is that… a cave?

“We made it, human!” Harton was already at the end of the beach, peering at the cave where the light of the archway had landed. “Where the earth meets the sea. This is it!”

Breathless and cold despite the cardio, Sofia eventually caught up to him. “My name’s Sofia,” she repeated. She looked at the cave and realized the light was starting to disappear from the entrance.

“How are you going to get over there?” she asked.

“Swim, of course,” replied Harton. “The water is a little rough, but the tide still seems low.” He started making his way into the water when his injured hind leg buckled beneath him, causing him to cry out in pain. 

“Are you all right?” Sofia kneeled down beside him.

“I think… I think I pushed myself a little too hard,” Harton, teeth gritted in pain. He turned his head to look back at the gate, the light was moving quickly down the cave entrance. “The gate won’t remain open once the light’s moved on,” he said, defeated.

“We could wait until tomorrow,” suggested Sofia. “Wouldn’t the light open the gate again in the morning?”

Suddenly, Harton cried out again in pain. Sofia realized that Harton’s bandages had fallen off and that the wounds had grown larger, turned black, and were pulsing. 

“W-what is happening to you?” she exclaimed.

“A wound from the Ymplerim can’t be treated like regular wounds. It… takes over the body, and eventually the mind before… it takes your life.”

Sofia looked at the Dlam in horror. Harton kept his gaze on the cave, his last bit of hope fading away with the light. 

I have to get him to the cave.

Trembling in fear, Sofia ripped off her sweater and hat, stuffing them into her pack with her other belongings before donning it again. She then grabbed Harton’s front paws and started dragging him into the surf. 

“What are you doing?” 

“I promised to get you to the gate,” she said, struggling. “Can you help me get you into the water?”

Harton’s eyes relit with hope. With the little strength he had, he started pushing himself into the water. 

“Ok, I’m going to turn you on your back, all right? Just paddle as much as you can.” Sofia wrapped her arm around Harton’s ribcage like she had seen in some videos online and started moving toward the cave. With the low tide, she was able to walk along the ocean floor, but as they drew closer to the cave the water became deeper and the waves stronger. Sofia’s anxiety was growing, but was kept at bay by the thought of having to move forward without letting the waves dash them against the cliff face.

The beam was disappearing quickly now, dispersing into the general light of day. All that was left of the beam as at the bottom of the mouth of the cave. 

“We’re not going to make it!” cried Harton.

“Yes we will!” shouted Sofia. With surprising determination, Sofia pushed off the floor towards the cave entrance.

A wave picked them up and seemed to move them away from the cave. Suddenly, they were enveloped by a bright light. The wave was redirected and Sofia and Harton were flung directly into the mouth of the cave and under the water.

They were caught in a rapid; tossed, turned, and tumbled without a chance to come up for air. Before Sofia could figure out what was happening, she lost her grip on Harton. Terrified, panicking, and unable to see or control her movements, Sofia felt herself thrown against a hard surface.

Then everything went dark.