[center][color=0076a3][h1]- Valen -[/h1][/color][/center][hr] The wind's screams tore through Valen's mind like a telepathic force, pushing aside all conscious thought. Try as he might, Valen simply couldn't concentrate. Every time danger came Valen's way, it was something he could either outpunch or outrun. But falling from the sky strapped to a metal shell with complete strangers? This was something very, [i]very[/i] new to him. The man's fingers found the clasp to the seat belt and readied to unclip the restraints. Assuming he didn't die on impact, he had to make sure the plane didn't drag him into the watery abyss beneath him. A woman flew by him, screaming in agony as her body was brutally battered against the rows of seats before she was sucked out into the sky beside them through the back opening of the plane. An involuntary scream of horror escaped his lips as he saw another form dart past him, quickly meeting the same fate. Valen shut his eyes and forced himself to begin counting, attempting to shut all outside sensory inputs out. His ragged breathing began to stabilize as he mentally counted up to ten. [i]One.[/i] The wind's howl tore through his ears, almost pushing all conscious thought from his mind like a telepathic wave. [i]Two.[/i] Valen fought back, fighting to retain consciousness and not give into the panic. [i]Three.[/i] The screams began to fade away as people began to realize their impending fate. [i]Four.[/i] The sounds of the siblings seated behind Valen shouting to each other reached his ears, providing a minuscule amount of comfort. [i]Five.[/i] Prayers and desperate pleas to the void began being issued by almost every passenger on the plane. [i]Six.[/i] The temperature began warming slightly as they fell from the upper atmosphere towards more amiable temperatures. [i]Seven.[/i] The smell of salt stung Valen's nostrils, informing him that the ocean was quickly approaching. [i]Eight.[/i] He would live. Come hell and high water, [i]Valen would live.[/i] [i]Nine.[/i] It was almost time. [i]Ten.[/i] The freezing water knocked all breath from Valen's lungs as it washed over him, jostling his entire body. His fingers barely managed to unclasp his seat belt, releasing him from the firm grasp of his restraints. The ocean pushed him into a swirling vortex of metal, bodies, and icy water, throwing his helpless form into the current that dragged him away from the plane. Valen attempted to protect his head by curling into a ball, but the strength of the waves was far too violent, rocking his entire body into a frenzied series of thrashes and contractions. Valen's screams were immediately caught by the water and captured into bubbles, floating up towards the surface of the water. Valen's eyes burned in the extreme salinity of the ocean, but he forced them to remain open to follow the bubbles' path. Once he was certain of the direction, he desperately kicked his legs, pursuing after them despite his entire body screaming for him to thrash and panic. The burning in his lungs was immediate and crippling, but he pushed past it, quickly ascending through the water towards freedom. A small object came across his path, obstructing his view of the bubbles and causing a wave of panic to surge through his chest. Valen shoved the object as hard as he could, however the water diluted his attempt, resulting in the mystery form to be pushed only a few inches. The ethereal floated of fabric around the form caused a wave of recognition to surge through him as he realized it was a small child, unconsciously drifting through the ocean. Despite his condition, Valen wrapped his left arm around the kid's waist and pulled them along with him towards the surface. As soon as his head broke the water, he sucked in as much air as he could, gasping violently as he struggled to pull what he now recognized as a girl above water with him. Her small, hacking coughs brought an immediate sense of relief to Valen as he realized she was still alive; any form of attempting CPR while floating in the water would've failed without a doubt. Valen gently laid her head on his shoulder and began treading water, leaning back into the water to further stabilize the pair. Once he had recovered his breath, Valen gently pulled the girl's form further onto his shoulder, patting her chest gently. He wasn't sure if it would do anything, but he figured it was worth a shot to help her breathe. With a newly cleared mind, Valen looked around, hoping to spot any other survivors. [color=0076a3]"Hello! Anyone? Did anyone survive?!"[/color] The cold water began tightening his chest as the terrible truth dawned on him. Up until that point, he had been so focused on surviving, he hadn't come to terms with the truth that he, and any other survivors, were stranded in the ocean. Alone, lost, and completely screwed.