Mike insisted on his favorite radio channel blaring during every drive. Alya seethed inwardly but said nothing, lest Mike interpret her protest as a heroic feat deserving of a reward. Men could be so foolish at times. The current song, 'Fly on the Wall' by 'Thousand Foot Krutch', filled the car.

The other night

I had a dream

It was a world full of kings and queens

But it was cold

Dark as the night

We were the fire on the moonlit skies

She never grasped the meaning of the song, nor did she particularly care. She held no aversion to this genre of music; after all, she had always been somewhat of a tomboy. Perhaps that's why she agreed to go cave diving with her two closest friends, Mike and Emily.

There was a shadow lingering in Alya's mind—a secret liaison with Emily, unknown to her boyfriend, Mike. At 20 years old, experimentation seemed permissible, didn't it? Yet, Alya grappled with the guilt of betraying Mike and potentially fracturing her lifelong friendship with Emily. Amidst these tangled emotions, questions about her sexual orientation haunted her. Was she truly straight, or did her experiences with Emily suggest otherwise? Despite her doubts, Alya found solace in her moments with Mike, even amidst his occasional annoyances.

As they drove, Alya couldn't shake the nerves coiling in her stomach. Cave diving—a venture she had always feared. She had read countless stories of tragic deaths in those submerged caverns, yet she had agreed to this excursion, something she would never have done under normal circumstances. Guilt gnawed at her now, realizing it was likely her attempt to suppress the guilt of her secret tryst with Emily that drove her to accept.

Despite her mounting anxiety, Alya kept her apprehensions concealed, buried beneath a facade of false bravado.

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Excitement surged through Alya as she submerged into the unknown depths of the cave, her heart racing with anticipation. The initial thrill of exploration fuelled their venture, blinding them to the dangers lurking beneath the surface. Mike's eager grin mirrored her own as they ventured further into the labyrinthine passages, Emily trailing behind, her eyes wide with wonder.

Their inexperience was a distant concern as they marvelled at the hidden wonders concealed within the cave's depths. Each twist and turn revealed a new marvel—a hidden alcove adorned with delicate formations, a narrow passage leading to a hidden chamber teeming with life. It was a world unlike any they had ever known, a world waiting to be discovered.

But as they pressed on, their initial excitement gave way to trepidation. The narrow passages grew tighter, the darkness more suffocating, until they found themselves trapped in a maze of their own making. Panic bubbled to the surface as they struggled to find their way back, their movements growing frantic as the walls of the cave seemed to close in around them.

And then it happened—a sudden rush of movement, a flurry of panicked limbs, and Alya found herself separated from Mike and Emily, the swirling silt obscuring her vision. Desperation clawed at her as she groped blindly through the darkness, her hands frantically searching for any sign of her companions. But they were gone, swallowed by the murky depths, leaving Alya alone in the suffocating embrace of the cave.

Fear coiled in her chest as she struggled to find her way back, each passing moment eroding her sense of direction. The walls of the cave seemed to close in around her, a maze of twisting passages and hidden chambers that offered no escape. Panic threatened to consume her as she fought against the relentless tide, her lungs burning with the need for air.

But as her strength waned and her vision grew dim, Alya knew that she was running out of time. With each laboured breath, the darkness closed in around her, a cold, suffocating embrace that left her gasping for air. And then, with a final, desperate gasp, she inhaled—a sharp, searing pain tore through her chest as water flooded her lungs, burning with each breath.

In those agonizing moments, as consciousness slipped away, Alya's thoughts turned to the ones she left behind—the friends she had lost, the dreams left unfulfilled. And as the darkness claimed her, she wondered if her fate was sealed from the moment she first ventured into the depths of the cave.