“JOHN!!!” Cried out Ariel as she stretched out her hand.

Tears streamed down her face as she began to charge up her spell in sadness and anger. The little remaining oxygen inside of the ice cube began to gather and took the form of a spear.

Serena who saw this began to charge up her own spell and formed 5 wind Arrows around the spear. As Ariel was about to shoot the spell, Serena stopped her.

“Wait, Ariel, not now.”

“What do you mean not now!? It ate John!!” She shouted back.

Ariel was full of anger and was in no position to think logically.

“If we attack it now, then we’ll also die! It’s too far from us, I also want to avenge John! So we’ll have to wait!” Shouted Serena as tears slowly streamed down her face.

“But we can still sav-“

Ariel was interrupted by Serena who quietly said, “It’s too late…”

Ariel got her staff and began to pour even more magic power into her spear.

“What are you doing?” Asked Serena.

“I’m waiting…” Said Ariel as she wiped her tears.

“I already told you! John won’t-“

Serena was interrupted by a bright flash which came from the mouth of the eel. The eel’s behaviour changed, and it started swimming around as if it were trying to get something off of its body. Then again, another flash came from the inside.

Ariel and Serena Stared at the eel as hope slowly began to fill their eyes.

A 3rd Flash came from inside of the body and the eel’s movements slowed down. It seemed weaker. Shortly after, something had pierced it from the inside and blood began to spill out. Then another bright flash followed.

The recently active eel had become motionless… Then slowly, from the mouth, you could see signs of the inside being slowly frozen.

Seeing this, the sad look on Ariel’s and Serena’s faces changed into a teary smile.

“That idiot… he didn’t give up…” Said Serena as she wiped her tears.

“Mn..” Nodded Ariel as she also wiped her tears.

Moments later from the inside of the mouth crawled out a young boy who they all recognised.

“It’s John! I told you he was fine!” Said, Ariel with a happy and excited expression.

“Yeah… I forgot how abnormal he was…” Said Serena with a small smile 

John slowly floated downwards towards the ice cube without moving. His consciousness slowly began to fade as he fell deeper and deeper.

“Where is John’s ball of air? He won’t be able to breathe…” Asked Ariel

“He’s going to drown at this rate…” Said Serena as she looked up at him.

Fear filled Ariel’s and Serena’s faces as they shouted out John’s name from inside of the ice.

[Serena..? Ariel..? Ah… That’s right… I’m underwater right now…] John thought hazily.

Right before Serena and Ariel were about to put a hole in the ice to pick up John as he barely hanged on to his consciousness, he propelled himself straight down onto the ice cube.

Once he reached it, he opened a hole and fell inside before using his remaining energy to close it and remove the water which had gone in.

After he had finished, he fell unconscious. Ariel and Serena who were frozen and surprised at what had just happened snapped back to reality and instantly went to see John’s condition

John had a few burns and cuts on his skin, so Ariel’s face was filled with tension as she saw that. Ariel placed her head on his chest and made a relieved expression as his heart was beating. She then placed her hand above his nose and the tension returned.

“Ariel, what’s wrong? Why aren’t you saying anything?” Asked Serena.

“John, he’s not breathing…” Said, Ariel.

“What? Then can you-“

Serena was stopped by Ariel’s sudden action where she slightly tilted John’s head back and kissed him. That’s how it looked from the perspective of Serena.

Ariel, however, was performing rescue breaths on John. She had tilted his head to open his airways, pinched his nose, took a deep breath and while her mouth was placed above his, she blew air into his chest and watched it rise after it fell she repeated the process 5 times.

“Wha- What are you doing?!” Asked Serena with a red face.

Ariel didn’t hear her, she couldn’t hear anything. She remained focused without saying anything and moved on to chest compressions.

At a steady pace, she pressed down at John’s chest 30 times. After that, she gave him another 2 rescue breaths

Serena realised what she was doing and didn’t say anything as to not break Ariel’s concentration. She knew that John’s life could only be saved by Ariel.

“Wake up… John…” Quietly muttered Ariel as she did Chest compressions.

After two tries, her hands were starting to feel tired, but she didn’t stop. She had deactivated magic strengthening so that she wouldn’t accidentally harm him, so the only thing that kept her going without stopping was her will.

“Please…” Said Ariel as she began to cry.

On the third tries after she placed her lips above his and blew into his mouth, as his chest fell he finally coughed out water…

“Huh? *Cough* Ariel..? *Cough*” Said John as he woke up.

Ariel and Serena’s face lit up as John woke up and Ariel gave him a tight hug.

She then started crying as she held on to John.

“You idiot…” Quietly muttered Ariel as tears streamed down her face.

Confused, John didn’t say anything and hugged her back.