Rising from the Ashes (Andrew) novel Chapter 2575

Andrew had followed Shiloh down, experiencing several turbulent currents at the lake bottom before finally managing to grab hold of her. Her small face was pale, her eyes tightly shut, but he did not look too worried.

She was alive, just unconscious.

The real problem now was how to get out. The cave was completely visible from where he stood, and the only exit seemed to be the same way he came in: through the water.

However, there was no way he was going back down there. Beneath that lake were hidden currents, whirlpools, and a mysterious force.

This strange force was incredibly sinister, able to control those strands of waterweeds. If one got caught by those, there was almost no chance of survival. They would be dragged deeper and deeper until they drowned.

Andrew thought about that eerie force for a while, but he still could not figure out what it was. At first, he had suspected some sort of underwater creature, like a giant serpent or a mythical beast. Yet clearly, that was not the case.

If there had been a monster, it would have attacked him when he was still struggling. There had to be something else behind it. Nonetheless, that was not what mattered right now.

Andrew crouched down and checked Shiloh's breathing. It was steady, but she still had not woken up. Worried she might have swallowed too much water, he began pressing against her abdomen to force it out.

The moment his hand brushed against her chest, his heart skipped a beat. He had never noticed before, but she was surprisingly well-built.

The soft, springy feeling beneath his hand made his thoughts wander for a split second before he slapped himself hard across the face.

"Get a grip, man! She's Shiloh, not some random woman. Are you really that much of a pervert?" he muttered to himself, shaking off the thought.

Then, he refocused and continued the chest compressions.

With a gasp, Shiloh suddenly coughed up several mouthfuls of murky water. Her eyes fluttered open, dazed and unfocused, staring blankly at him.

However, that moment of hesitation cost him. Her freezing palm slammed into his chest, and with a wet crack, he spat out a mouthful of blood.

A bone-chilling cold spread through him instantly, seeping deep into his organs.

"Shiloh! It's me, Andrew! Have you lost your mind?" he roared through clenched teeth as he stumbled backward.

For a brief second, something flickered in Shiloh's frosty gaze. "Andrew? It's you?"

Her body trembled as recognition finally dawned, and the hand that had been aimed at his head slowly lowered. Yet, even as she stopped attacking, Andrew noticed that her eyes remained icy and distant; there was no warmth in them at all.

"Shiloh, don't you recognize me?" he asked, both disappointed and bewildered.