A year ago, Elias had fallen from the fourth floor during a daring rescue, his left leg slamming into the outdoor air conditioning unit. The impact caused severe internal injuries. The doctor had cautioned him to take extra care, especially during the rainy season, as the cold would exacerbate his condition and only worsen with age.
Mira had been by his side every step of the way, attending physical therapy sessions with him, even reminding him to wear his knee pads on rainy days. She had always been terrified that his old injuries might resurface during a mission. Many nights, she woke up in tears after dreaming of him dying in one of those rescues.
Elias had always promised her he would take care of himself, that they would grow old together. But now, it seemed as though those promises no longer mattered. His old injury was forgotten, overshadowed by his obsession with winning Vera's affection and giving her the perfect wedding.
Mira, watching as her husband fought for another woman, felt a painful numbness settle in her chest. The sadness that should have gripped her never quite came.
The crowd around her grew larger, their murmurs intensifying. In the dark water below, Elias and the other young man were slowing down. Elias had been leading by three or four meters, but now, the young man was gaining ground.
As the distance between them closed, the young man powered ahead, his strokes growing more frantic, splashing water in every direction. The gap shrank with every second.
Only two hundred meters remained. Elias, unable to maintain his pace, was caught up and overtaken.
"Looks like the ex-boyfriend's going to win her heart," someone remarked with a smirk.
"Did the current boyfriend cramp up or something?" another person laughed.
"No surprise, he's about to lose," someone else added, their voice dripping with amusement.
The young man surged ahead, now several meters in front of Elias, and Mira stood there, frozen.
At that moment, Vera’s voice rang out over the crowd, clear and desperate: “Elias, I just want you to be my groom, come on, I love you—”
As if her words were a lifeline, Elias, who had been struggling in the water, suddenly surged forward. His movements became more purposeful, more powerful. The reassurance her voice gave him seemed to fuel his every stroke.