Chapter 171 - And it suddenly happened (2)

Alexandra felt something wrap around her figure and pull her into the water, then a loud splash was heard right after grabbing everyone's attention. The sudden contact of her body with the water made her shiver and the water was cold. She cursed inside her head and looked down to see nothing but darkness, I never knew that the lake was this deep, she thought to herself. She tried to hold her back and she looked up, her surroundings slowly became darker as she was bung pulled deeper to the bottom of the lake.

So this is why her brother told her to be careful.

Rope-like vines were wrapped around her waist and she tried to fight back, barely forgetting that she was in the water and she can't breathe. She tried to kick up and reached for the surface, holding her hand out hoping that somebody would grab it and pull her up to the surface. It was hard to move in the water. I can't breathe, she thought to herself and tried to gasp for air but water only entered her mouth, invading her lungs. It feels like someone is choking her, she can't breathe. Am I going to die? She thought to herself, her hand still held out. She already inhaled so much water and she was getting dizzy, her eyes badly wanting to close.

It was already dark as if night came. She was getting more tired and exhausted as if she ran so many miles, she was too tired to struggle and fight back anymore. Is this really the end? Really, Diana was right. My carelessness and curiosity would really kill me someday, she thought to herself.

Then she saw two people swimming in her direction, it was Calixander and Carlos. Calixander had a desperate yet serious look on her face, making it look like he badly wants to save her. Am I hallucinating right now due to the lack of oxygen in my brain? She thought to herself. But still.

Save me. I still don't want to die yet.

And her vision blacked out.

--

A few minutes before that, after Alexandra was pulled into the water.

"Young miss, get away!"

Carlos's loud shot was heard throughout the place, grabbing everyone's attention, including the people who were sitting inside the gazebo. Then the loud splash was heard. Calixander and Alexander's eyes widened in surprise. Calixander cursed inside his head and got down his seat, running as fast as he could towards the lake. I told her to be careful, he thought to himself and his eyebrows furrowed.

Christian stiffened in his position as his eyes widened in surprise and shock. He was about to go in the water to save his sister even though he can't swim when he heard a splash coming from his left. Carlos wasted no time in going in the water to save the young miss who got dragged in.

"Just stay here," Then he heard a cold and monotonous voice coming from behind him. A hand was placed on top of his shoulder firmly as if that person was trying to stop seeing that he was about to go in the water. He turned his head around to look back and see who that person was and saw Calixander, a serious look on his face.

"Eh? Brother?" Calixander walked towards the lake and withdrew his hand which was placed on top of Christian's shoulder. Don't tell me he is going to—Then his thoughts were cut off when a loud splash was heard and some of the water splattered and got him. Although he wasn't completely drenched or wet, his pants were. Just like I thought, he did get in. Aside from that, he also told me to just stay here, he thought to himself.

"Brother!" It was Chandler's shout this time as he ran towards their direction. He was about to go in when his personal knight arrived in time and grabbed him before he could, "Calm down, your majesty! You can't swim, what would happen if you drowned while they were fighting that creature? Aside from that, it's hard to fight in the water and defend yourself," Cortez said as he grabbed Chandler. Everyone ran towards their direction, including their personal knights. Their father was also there trying to calm down his son, Chandler.

"Chandler, get a hold of yourself," Regardless of what is happening right now, their father remained calm and composed as if he knew that they will succeed in taking Alexandra back. Although he was panicking and regretted that he told her that she can go walk around the lake. Carlos, the vice-captain of the royal knights, is there and is going to save her.

It was such a mess. Christian could only hope that everything will be alright.

Deep down in the water, Carlos swam towards the young miss' direction while beside him was Calixander. They made eye contact with each other and nodded as if they already planned what they were going to do. Since Calixander wasn't used in fighting in the water, he will be the one who will retrieve Alexandra while Carlos would fight that monster. Maybe cutting off the vines that were wrapped around her would be fine. Their plan was to retrieve Alexandra, not to completely fight that monster and kill it.

Thankfully, with the help of magic, they were able to swim fast in the water and they could hold their breath longer. Calixander saw Alexandra's hand being held out as if she wants him to grab it and pull her back to the surface. Their eyes met and her expression was telling him to save her and her eyes closed. Her arm slowly falling back to her sides. He cursed inside his head before he desperately swam towards her, leaving Carlos behind him, and grabbed Alexandra's hand, intertwining his fingers with hers. The rope-like vines that wrapped around her were thick and it tightened as he attempted to pull her back.

If one of her bones gets broken because of how tightly this disgusting creature wrapped around her, he thought to himself, his expression darkened as the thought of that. He could imagine what he was going to do with this monster. But before that, he has to save Alexandra first.

Carlos swung his sword that glowed because of his mana and cut the creature's vines. Even if it was just a light swing, it cut it cleanly and thoroughly. The vines that were wrapped around her slowly loosened and he was able to pull Alexandra back. They wasted no time in swimming back to the surface while Calixander held Alexandra tightly against his chest, still holding her hand as if he doesn't want to let go. As he swam up, he noticed that Carlos was being left behind as the creature regenerated some off its vines which were cut off quickly and wrapped it around Carlos's body as well as his hands to prevent him from summoning his weapon as it pulled him. Calixander cursed inside his head and swam towards Carlos, he just couldn't leave him here and get eaten by that monster. There are many reasons why, including that he was the vice-captain of the royal knights and a talented one, so losing him would greatly affect them.

But Carlos insisted as if he was telling him through his expression that he should leave him behind and he could deal with the monster alone. But Calixander was stubborn enough to refuse. Even though he can cut its vines with his sword, it could still regenerate in just a short amount of time so it wouldn't be of use. Then he thought about something. A spell that could kill the monster in just seconds, it's the most effective one especially that they were in the water and other spells wouldn't work that much.

He raised his other hand and pointed his palm towards the direction of the monster's mouth. He couldn't see it but his instincts were telling him that it was there.

Then what seems like a magic circle appeared in front of his palm, it was large and it emitted a bright light. Although this one is a spell that is above Tier 5 and uses a lot of mana, he still used it as it was the most effective one and the only one that he can think of which would finish the enemy immediately. A straight line of white light with a red glow pointed towards the bottom of the lake and lighted their surroundings. He could see the mouth and he chanted one word inside his mind:

'Explosion.'

It felt like a nuke bomb landed in the water and the lake was parted in half as the water splashed and reached a great height. He was sure that the people surrounding the lake would get drenched in the water yet he didn't care, all of this just to save Carlos and his sister. It was worth it.

He swam towards the surface, holding Alexandra tightly while Carlos followed behind him.

Outside the water, with the people surrounding the lake.

It was raining even though there were no clouds and the sky wasn't dark. It was because of the water that came from the lake, it splashed towards them and most of them flew straight to the sky and came raining down on them. But the lake didn't run out of the water, it was way too deep for it to get half-empty. It still looked full. Alexander could only think of one thing, Calixander used that spell again. He could only let out a sigh.

And as if on cue, right after he sighed, three people emerged their heads out of the water. Their hair completely drenched. Calixander was holding Alexandra in her arms who looked like she was sleeping peacefully but as you observed further, she was pale. It looked like she wasn't breathing.

Christian, seeing the three of them, relief washed over him and he could breathe normally now. For the whole time, while they were in the water, he was holding his breath and hoping that they would come back with Alexandra in their arms and it happened. "Brother!" Chandler ran towards them and Christian followed. Before he climbed out of the water, he placed Alexandra first in the ground. Carlos who was already out of the water helped the prince up.

It was cold as the wind blew against them but he didn't care as he rushed over to Alexandra. He held her hand with his and it was cold, her fingertips that brushed over his palm were cold. He doesn't know how long were they submerged in that cold lake. Her eyes were still closed and her chest looked like it wasn't rising. Her father tried to feel her pulse, "It's weak. Alexandra's pulse is weak," Was what their father's side and he clenched his jaw right after he spoke. He was in a distress, he was in the middle of a situation where her daughter was in a life-or-death situation. This was the second time that he felt afraid of losing a girl who was important to him. The first one was his wife.

When Calixander heard what his father said there is only one thing that he can think of: CPR. He doesn't know how to do it and he is afraid that he might make a mistake while doing it, he could accidentally crush his sister's ribs if he did it too much. Christian might have a read a book about it but he still hasn't experienced it and he is way too young, the same goes for Chandler. Gilbert probably doesn't know how to do it. Should I use a spell to pull out all of the water in her lungs? But what if I did a mistake and accidentally gathered out blood? That would kill her. What about the knights? Should I call for the--

Just as he was panicking and not knowing what to do, he heard a series of coughs coming from below him and it came from Alexandra. Water came out from her mouth as she coughed and her eyes fluttered open right after. Relief washed over them and Calixander's eyes widened.

"So I wasn't hallucinating earlier…" Her voice was faint and low but he could hear it. "Your hand is so warm—"

Calixander let out a small gasp with his eyes still wide.

"—Thank you for saving me," And her eyes closed once again. He tried to feel her pulse and thankfully it was normal. He let out a sigh of relief and closed his eyes, he squeezed her hand. The thought of losing someone was too much, especially if it was one of his family. His sister.

And the same goes for his other brothers too.