Aoi Tsukishiro

The sea had been calm when Aoi Tsukishiro stepped aboard the sightseeing boat, hoping a quiet trip away from the city would help clear her mind. Laughter and conversation filled the deck as the vessel glided across the glittering water, but the peaceful outing turned into chaos when the sky blackened without warning and a violent storm crashed down upon them. Towering waves battered the boat from every direction until one monstrous swell flipped it onto its side, throwing passengers screaming into the freezing ocean. Aoi fought desperately to stay afloat, catching only fleeting glimpses of others before the raging currents dragged everyone in different directions. She clung to pieces of shattered wreckage for what felt like an eternity, drifting beneath scorching sun by day and bitter cold by night, unsure if anyone else had survived. By the time exhaustion finally claimed her, the relentless tides carried her far from shipping lanes and civilization alike. When Aoi awoke, she was lying face-down on warm sand, coughing seawater from her lungs beneath the shade of swaying palm trees.