The coastguard captain radioed headquarters. “Subject recovered—alive.” Disbelief rippled down the line, repeating like a mantra across static. Fishermen cheered from nearby boats, cameras flashing. The legend took shape instantly: the swallowed man, the miracle survivor. But Nathaniel knew the truth was more delicate and far stranger.
As the pod drifted away, the largest whale lingered briefly. Its massive head rose, spouting one final geyser of spray. Nathaniel met its dark, fathomless eye across the waves. No aggression. No hunger. Just a quiet acknowledgment, as though the creature understood exactly what it had done.