Chapter 2
Vico
My pounding heart matches the force of the waves crashing against the rocks. The blood rushes through my veins with anger and turmoil. Behind my closed eyelids, I see flickers of orange-red light, and I feel the hard stone ground beneath my feet. A hint of salt lingers on my tongue, and a cool breeze brushes against my forearms. With my head lowered, I open my eyes.
The first thing I see is my toes, gripping the rocky ground like a cat's claws. The edge of the cliff lies just ahead of me. Below, the water crashes violently against the cliffs, but it can't reach me. About twenty yards of pure emptiness exists between us.
Twenty yards of nothingness.
One more step forward, take a deep breath.
I'm about to do it.
I'm going to jump.
My heart races, and adrenaline floods my body. I can feel the energy coursing through my fingertips. The thrill fills me like nothing else in the world can. I am present, and I am ready. Everything else loses its significance.
With every muscle taut, I rise onto my tiptoes and lift my arms. This is my moment. Now or never.
In a single flowing movement, I bend my knees, pick up momentum, and push myself powerfully off the rock.
I shoot upward.
But fractions of a second later, I fall into nothingness. I tuck my legs in, spinning around my axis.
The azure blue water is my guide. I keep it in sight, controlling my position in the air, letting my muscles work.
Another tucked somersault.
Now, extend all limbs. Even the tips of my toes.
The roar of the ocean grows louder. I can feel its energy, and the first cool drops touch my heated skin.
In a straight line, I race toward the water.
One last time, I check my position. It's perfect. Everything is perfect.
With a sense of bliss, I close my eyes. I want to savor the adrenaline rush as it surges through me.
With the force of a car crash, the water breaks my fall. If I let go now, my bones might break. So I give it my all. Every fiber of my being must work, as the sea engulfs me with its might.
Bam!
Just a moment ago, I was at the mercy of gravity, but now the water catches me. I let myself sink to the bottom and open my eyes. Above me, the sunlight breaks through the restless sea, painting flickering lines on the sandy floor. Seaweed sways blissfully in the current, and a crab hides under a rock beside me.
My heartbeat calms down, and a silence settles within me. It scares me, so I forcefully push off from the bottom and break the surface. I raise my arms high and let myself float in the water. The spectators on the cliffs above applaud, but I can't hear them over the deafening roar of the waves.
I swim energetically toward the waiting inflatable boat, pull myself up, and take a seat. Before I can brush my dripping,shoulder-length hair out of my face, the driver revs up the motor and steers toward the coast. Absorbing the harsh impact of the waves, I unzip my wetsuit and look around for the person I've put all my effort into this jump for: the talent scout.
Over there, on the low rock covered with coastal grass, he stands. His thinning hair flutters in the wind, and he's jotting something down on his notepad. Thanks to his oversized sunglasses, I can barely make out any movement in his facial expressions.
Please, let it be a good evaluation.
In my mind, I go through the jump again. Were my legs perfectly parallel during the stretched twist? Did I execute the flips cleanly? I know my body was in a flawless position upon entering the water. Anything else, I would feel clearly now because the sea does not forgive the slightest mistake. Still, that alone won't be enough to finally get a sponsorship deal. Not with the competition I've already seen jumping today.
A few minutes later, as I climb the steps carved into the cliff with bare feet and pass by the scout, he nods approvingly at me but doesn't approach me. Thankfully, I have no time to dwell on what that could mean as my buddies surround me.
Matteo holds out his fist. "Awesome," he says.
