Chapter 1059
Jude hit the water hard, the cold swallowing him instantly. His breath caught in his chest, eyes stinging, limbs already slicing through the swirling current as he dove beneath the surface. The waterfall above churned the pool into chaos, pushing him deeper, tossing him like a leaf in a storm. But he didn’t stop. He couldn’t. Rose had gone over the edge right in front of him. One second she was there, her hand in his, and the next, nothing but air and that sickening drop. He pushed deeper, eyes wide, searching the silvery blur for her shape, her hair, anything.
His lungs burned. He kicked harder, twisting around, reaching. Rocks loomed in the murk, sharp edges threatening to tear through his skin, but he didn’t care. She had to be down here somewhere. Had to be. The sound of the falls was a deafening roar in his ears, disorienting, echoing off the stone walls beneath the surface. The water pulled at him like it wanted to keep him, swallow him too.
He surfaced once, gasping. "Rose!" he shouted, already diving again.
Zoey was right behind him, plunging in without hesitation. Her braid came loose the moment she hit the water, strands floating around her face like black seaweed. She didn’t say anything, just dove deeper, her silhouette disappearing fast.
Layla appeared next on the cliff above, her face pale with fear before she leapt, feet slicing through the mist. A splash, then silence. Serena and Natalie were right behind her, followed by Lucy, all of them drawn by the scream, by the look on Jude’s face as he vanished over the edge after Rose.
The pool filled with frantic movement. Jude surfaced again, coughing hard, eyes red and raw. "Did anyone see her?"
No one answered. They were all searching, diving, fighting against the violent churn. Emma reached the far side first, crawling over the slick rocks like a drenched cat, eyes wide with panic. She turned and scanned the surface. "She could’ve been pulled under the falls!" she yelled.
Susan swam to the base of the waterfall and dove, disappearing under the pounding torrent. Jude followed her lead, kicking toward the curtain of water, teeth clenched against the push of the current. He dove beneath the crashing surface, heart racing, and found only stone and swirling shadows.
There was no sign of Rose.
The water was freezing, heavy with silt and foam. His hands scraped stone, his knees slammed against rock, but he didn’t stop. He surfaced again, gasping, eyes darting over the crowd.
"Rose!" Lucy screamed, voice hoarse.