The ocean was near. Caleb could feel it. The air had changed, carrying with it the salty scent of the waves, a stark contrast to the cold, metallic smell of blood that still lingered on Elyra’s lips.

She was asleep, her head resting against his chest, her breathing barely audible.

Caleb counted each inhale, each exhale.

As long as she was breathing, there was still time.

But how much?

Ten days.

That was all she had left.

His fingers trembled as he brushed her hair from her face. She looked so peaceful like this, as if she wasn’t in pain, as if her body wasn’t deteriorating right in front of him.

But he knew better.

She was fading.

And the worst part?

He couldn’t stop it.

Tom’s voice broke the silence. “We’ll reach the ocean by sunrise.”

Caleb barely nodded. His focus was on Elyra, on the weak rise and fall of her chest, on the way her skin looked paler under the dim light of the truck’s interior.

She was slipping away, and time was merciless.

Morning came too soon.

The truck rolled to a stop near the rocky shoreline, where the waves crashed angrily against the rocks, sending mist into the air. The golden light of the sunrise bathed the horizon, turning the water into an endless stretch of gold and blue.

Caleb turned to Elyra, gently shaking her. “We’re here.”

Her lashes fluttered open.

For a moment, she said nothing. Then her lips parted, and a single tear slid down her cheek.

“It’s beautiful,” she whispered.

Caleb swallowed the lump in his throat. “Yeah… it is.”

She tried to sit up, but her body was too weak. Without hesitation, Caleb scooped her up in his arms, carrying her toward the shore. The wind tangled in her hair, and she let out a soft laugh, the sound so light it nearly broke him.

When they reached the water, Caleb carefully lowered her down so her bare feet touched the cold waves. She shivered slightly, but a smile graced her lips.

“I never thought I’d see this,” she murmured.

Caleb forced a smile. “I told you I’d get you here.”

She looked up at him, something unreadable in her eyes. “Thank you.”

He shook his head. “Don’t thank me. Just… just be here. Be in this moment.”

Elyra closed her eyes and breathed in deeply, as if trying to memorize the scent, the sound, the feeling of the water on her skin.

Caleb clenched his fists.

This wasn’t fair.

She deserved more than this stolen moment.

She deserved a lifetime of them.

But fate had never been kind to her.

After a while, her body grew heavy against his. Caleb lifted her again, carrying her back to the truck, where Tom had set up a blanket for her to sit on. She leaned against the side of the vehicle, her energy drained but her eyes still filled with quiet awe.

“I wish…” she started, but then stopped herself.

Caleb crouched beside her. “What is it?”

She hesitated, then whispered, “I wish I had more time.”

His heart ached. “Me too,” he admitted. “More than anything.”

Elyra smiled sadly. “But at least I got to see this.”

Caleb bit his lip to stop the tears from falling. “You’ll see more,” he promised. “There’s still time.”

She gave him a knowing look. “Caleb…”

“Ten days,” he interrupted, his voice shaking. “That’s still a lot. We can do so much in ten days.”

Elyra didn’t argue. She just reached out and took his hand, squeezing it weakly. “Then let’s make them count.”

Caleb nodded, even as the weight of reality crushed him.

Ten days.

That was all they had left. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- To Be Continued...