Chapter Zero - ???

[Have you heard of the five stages of drowning?]

The sound of a splash.

And then, nothing.

[Stage one: Shock or surprise. The victim then attempts to escape its current predicament, likely by trying to swim upwards.]

His hands reached desperately upwards, grasping at the light.

'No! Not here! I must- I must go back- I must find it!'

He kicked his leg desperately, but he was already sinking too far. 

The chains wrapped around his waist, dragging him further down.

[Stage two: Involuntarily holding of breath. The body involuntarily holds its breath, trying to keep the water from entering the lungs. Those who possess inner cultivation can hold on longer than the usual human.]

He struggled and opened his mouth to shout for help only to swallow a mouthful of water.

His eyes, reddened and irritatated, gazed helplessly at the shining surface, at the beautiful blue sky.

'I can't let myself go here... I need to...'

[Stage three: Unconsciousness. Unable to sustain itself due to the lack of oxygen, the body shuts down, and the victim slowly sinks to the bottom of the ocean. For those who cannot use the arts of the Ten Thousand Rivers Doctor, this stage marks the end for them.]

'No! I can't fall here! Not before... before... I...'

Despite his mind's protest, his body slowed down. His limbs fell still as he seamlessly sunk to the bottom of the river.

[Stage four: Pre-Death. The skin starts turning blue from the fingertips, reaching all the way to the heart.]

A body lay on the bed of the river. The limbs stone cold and the eyes gazing into the gleam of the surface, a now unreachable goal.