Marcus’s pulse spiked. He kicked backward instinctively, panic clawing at his throat. It was too fast, too strong. He couldn’t get away in time. The shark pressed into him again, firmer this time, shoving him sideways into the open water.
He braced for teeth, for jaws snapping shut around him. But the bite never came. Instead, the shark darted past, circling back with another insistent shove. Marcus spun in confusion, trying to understand — until his gaze lifted beyond the reef.