Evolution

The shock of the cold substance enveloped him completely, and Alex instinctively kicked downwards with substantial force to stay afloat. He wasn't at any risk of drowning since he was an Awakened, and a powerful one at that, but that didn't mean sinking slowly into a dark abyss of water wasn't an uncomfortable experience.

As he surfaced, his face twisted in disgust. His tongue had inadvertently caught a small amount of the liquid, and the taste of it was revolting to say the least.

"This… definitely isn't water." Alex muttered to himself, spitting repeatedly to rid his mouth of the taste. 

There were upsides to having heightened senses, but it was also a double sided coin. Of course, heightened senses were a huge boon to an awakened like Alex, but it also made an experience like this one that much more disgusting.