The weather had only worsened since they set sail. Rain pelted the boat's deck like stones hurled from the sky, and violent wind tore through the sails, making the ropes groan in protest. The lake, once placid and shimmering, now churned with an almost malevolent force.
They were nearing the dock, barely fifty meters out, when the waves hit the hardest. A sudden gust slammed against the hull. The boat jerked sideways with a terrifying creak, sending passengers stumbling.
Johanna had been waiting and standing near the railing, ready to get off the boat. She let out a startled cry... and then she was gone.
"Johanna!" Beatrice shrieked.
There was a moment of stillness, of disbelief, before chaos exploded.
The princess screamed her name, lunging for the railing. Beatrice ran too, hair whipping in her face as she gripped the slick wood and scanned the gray water. There was no sign of Johanna. Just waves rising and collapsing like monsters hungry for flesh.
