Drifting Beyond

The sea was calm, a blanket of glass reflecting the crescent moon above, and the Elysium drifted lazily under the night sky. The wind had died hours ago, leaving only the quiet sound of lapping waves against the hull of the old sailboat. The two passengers aboard had been silent for much longer.

Amelia stood at the edge of the boat, her hands gripping the railing. She watched the dark horizon, but her mind was elsewhere, replaying conversations and decisions she wished she could undo. Her brother, Miles, sat in the shadows on the deck, his face obscured by the dim light. The tension between them had thickened like the salt in the air.

"Why did you come?" Miles finally asked, his voice cutting through the stillness. "You could’ve just let things be."

Amelia closed her eyes for a moment before turning to face him. "Because you wouldn’t listen. You wouldn’t stop." Her voice was steady but tired. She had fought with him for weeks, trying to pull him away from the spiral he'd been in. The gambling, the debts, the shady deals with dangerous men—it had all caught up with him. And her, too, by consequence.

"I had it under control," he spat, standing now. "I just needed more time."

"You needed help," she corrected, stepping toward him. "And you dragged me into this mess. Now we’re out here, hiding on a boat in the middle of nowhere, because you can’t face the consequences."

Miles’ eyes flashed with anger. "I never asked you to come!" he shouted, advancing on her. "This was my plan, my escape. You shouldn’t have followed me."

Amelia held her ground, her chest tightening with a mixture of fear and sorrow. She looked at her brother, the boy who had once held her hand as they played on the shores of their childhood home. That boy was gone now, replaced by a man hardened by his own mistakes.

"I followed you because you're my brother," she whispered. "I couldn’t let you drown alone."

Miles’ face twisted, caught between anger and something deeper, something more vulnerable. He took a step closer, and Amelia felt her pulse quicken. He wasn’t thinking clearly. He hadn’t been for a long time.

The sound of footsteps creaking on the deck broke the silence, but the weight between them was louder.

"I’m not drowning," he said coldly, "but maybe you are." And with that, his hand shot out, grabbing her wrist. Amelia’s breath caught in her throat as he yanked her closer, their faces inches apart. She saw it then—the desperation in his eyes, the realization that he was truly lost, but didn’t want to admit it.

For a split second, neither of them moved. The ocean swayed gently beneath them, indifferent to the human drama unfolding above. Then, with a sudden force, Miles pushed Amelia back.

She stumbled, her foot catching on a rope coiled on the deck. Arms flailing, she grasped at the air, but there was nothing to hold onto. The world seemed to slow as her body twisted toward the edge of the boat, her balance tipping. Miles’ expression shifted from anger to shock, as if he hadn’t truly meant to push her that hard.

Amelia’s back hit the railing, and for a terrifying moment, she teetered on the edge of the boat, her body caught between solid ground and open water. Miles reached for her, his hand outstretched, but it was too late.

With a final gasp, she went overboard.

The cold water enveloped her instantly, stealing the air from her lungs. For a heartbeat, everything was silent, her world reduced to the muffled sounds of the ocean. She kicked and thrashed, breaking the surface with a desperate breath, only to see Miles staring down at her from the deck, frozen in place.

"Amelia!" he shouted, reaching toward the side of the boat, but his movements were slow, unsure. He seemed paralyzed by what he’d done.

Amelia tread water, her limbs growing heavy in the dark sea. She looked up at her brother, her heart pounding with a mix of fear and anger. But then, something shifted inside her. She had followed him for too long, tried to save him from himself. And now, here she was, fighting to stay afloat in his chaos once again.

"Help me, Miles!" she cried, but the words felt hollow, more for his sake than her own. She could see him struggling with the weight of what had just happened, the realization sinking in like the anchor of the boat.

But instead of reaching out to her, instead of throwing a life ring or diving into the water, Miles hesitated. His hand hovered in the air, shaking. And then, slowly, he stepped back from the edge.

Amelia’s eyes widened in disbelief. "Miles!" she screamed, but her voice was swallowed by the vastness of the sea. He turned away, disappearing into the shadows of the deck, leaving her alone in the water.

The boat drifted further, its sails limp in the calm night, and Amelia was left to tread the cold, endless ocean. As the distance between them grew, she realized that the brother she had known was gone. He had made his choice.

And so had she.

With one final glance at the fading boat, Amelia turned toward the horizon, the stars guiding her toward something new, something unknown.