Too Late

Evadne had no bodyguards around her, and she was surrounded by reporters. She lifted her dress, retreating in a messy panic, unknowingly getting closer to the pool. Suddenly, someone gave her a hard shove, and she fell backward into the icy water. The coldness of the winter solstice penetrated her skin, biting into her bones. She gulped down mouthfuls of cold water, and the momentary suffocation felt like her soul was being ripped out. For a second, Evadne thought she might actually drown.

She flailed in the water, her once perfectly made-up face now pale, and she opened her mouth to scream for help, "Help... I can't swim... Help me..."

Percival watched this scene, his fists clenched tightly, blood dripping from the corners of his mouth due to his sheer rage, though he felt no pain. He hated himself for having been so blind back then, not even realizing Evadne couldn’t swim.

Percival thought back to everything that had happened over the past nine years. It was just as Eulalia had said