On the night of 15 December 2013, six students died on Meco Beach, Portugal. According to one account, they were taking part in an unofficial student initiation ritual. The only survivor was a senior student who led the group. The investigation never provided definitive answers. The European Court of Human Rights ruled that the investigation had failed to meet the required standards of effectiveness.

Praxe is a centuries-old Portuguese student initiation tradition built on hierarchy, authority, and submission, involving thousands of first-year students across the country every year. The tragedy at Meco may have been connected to Praxe — an ordeal in which obedience and discipline become the language of belonging.

Students stand with their backs to the ocean, blindfolded. For every wrong answer, they take a step backward, moving closer to the water. Linha do Mar — The Sea Line — symbolizes a passage from darkness into light. According to its symbolism, ignorance is meant to be left behind in the ocean. That night, the ocean moved beyond symbolism.