“Lucas!” Nova called. She planned on saving him by jumping too, but an arm stopped her. “Let go of me!” she resisted.

“Go find him!” He commanded those people with him. “Solari, take her.” Nova repeatedly called for Lucas. She suddenly feels her eyes become heavy and then collapse.

“Solari!” Kai warned.

“I’m sorry, Kai but she needs to rest,” Solari said, carrying her.

“You’re being emotional again, Kai. I told you to just do your job and stop sticking your nose into other people's business,” Clay said monotonously. The people manage to get Lucas from the water and carry him, walking their way to the hut.

“I saw it, Clay; they want to live, Lucas at least, so please let me.” 

“Take care of the kid.” Clay left after saying the words. Kai’s eyes followed Clay, watching his back slowly go far away. She looked back to where Clay was standing and found a little girl standing, looking at her. 

“Hi,” Kai said softly. The little girl waved in response, “You’re... back. Why?”

“Accident from camping, Mom, misplaced the medicines,” the girl responded. 

“Did he bring you here again?” the little girl asked. Kai’s feelings became heavy again after learning this. “Let’s go; let’s meet some old friends.” Kai reached for her hands and walked back to Luminary. Kai looked back again and thought about the thing she did earlier. 

“Is Clay angry?” the girl suddenly asked. 

“No, he’s not,” Kai shortly answered.

“Then why did he look at you like that?”

“Like what?”

“Like he’s angry,” Kai chuckled. 

“He always looked like that; besides, if he’s angry, I don’t care; I no longer care,” she replied. She didn’t regret a single thing about what she did today; she believes it’s for Lucas’ and Luminary’s own good.

***

The voice of a woman kept coming into his head. He looked at her blurry face, concentrating, but still couldn't recognize her. He looked around and found himself in a fancy room. The woman walked out through the door, hesitant but still following her. Everything was shaky and dark. He went to the door that women went through. A strong force of wind hits his face, making it more difficult for him to see. There it is, the woman, standing outside of the balcony railing. He tried to say a word and warn the woman, but no voice came out. Seconds later, the woman jumped, making him run in her direction. Strangely enough, he can no longer control his body.

“No, no,” he mentally said to himself, making any possible way to stop his body from jumping.

“I don’t want—”

“Lucas!” a slap landed on his face, making him awake. His eyes were wide awake. 

“Nova… what —” she suddenly wrapped her arms around him.

“It’s fine; it’s just a nightmare. I’m glad you’re okay.” Both of them suddenly felt a sense of relief. 

“So we’re friends now?” Lucas asked.

“Dream on.” She let go of the hug and faced him. “That’s a hug from a concerned acquaintance, plus are you still caught up with that friend thingy? Didn’t you see what Kai just did to you? Your so-called friend? She pushed you, okay?” she started yelling.

“I’m sure she didn’t —”

“Didn’t mean it? Are you crazy? Lucas?” She picked the pillow beside him. “If I suffocate you with this pillow, would you say I didn’t mean it? Because I’m really going to do it if you don’t pull yourself out! You’re so dense!” she frustratingly said.

"Nova, what I mean is that Kai might have had her reason.”

“Reason for what? Attempting to kill you?” Nova put her hands on his shoulders, shaking him lightly. “Can’t you see? There’s some strange people outside. We can’t trust anyone here; it’s just you and me. We should get out.”

His vision started to blur again, and Nova’s voice became muffled. Scenarios keep flashing in his head, confused if it’s a memory or an imagination. 

“Lucas!” He snaps back. “Are you listening?” Nova looked at his face, looking dumbfounded and absent minded. “I said we need to get out of here.” 

“No,” he says, breaking their eye contact. “We... should stay.” Nova can’t believe what he said.

“Okay! Fine! I’ll find my way out.” She jumped off the bed and started marching out the door. Nova slammed the door shut and started to walk. “I don’t get him; he almost stepped on the death's door yet he wants to stay? Seriously?! Okay! If he wants to die...” she said, looking back to his hut. “Then die! I don’t care anymore!” She started walking again. She was not sure where to go, but her feet continued to move. After a long walk, she found herself standing in front of a forest. Exceptionally tall trees were standing in bright sunlight, looking magical, straight out of a fairytale book. 

“From the looks of it, it’s not bad. I’m sure it’s safe,” she said, toning like she was convincing herself. She started to walk and explore the surroundings. The ground is exceptionally clean; there are no falling leaves; even dead leaves are nowhere to be found. It screams perfection. The trees seem to be glistening, though it might be because of the sunlight, but she knows there’s more to this forest than that. 

“Is there a way out here?” she uttered to herself after walking for almost an hour. She remembered the first thing she did to survive. “I’m going to climb a tree.” desperate, she looks at the tree and walks towards it. "Okay, Nova, just like the last time. Climb the tree, find a way out, and get out of here,” she said, motivating herself. She decided to use the technique she used back then to climb the tree, but the trunk was too wide for her to wrap around her cardigan. Nova decided to climb with just her bare hands, but it had no effect. She ruffled her hair out of frustration and stood up again. 

“Okay, you guys win.” She talks to the tree. “But I'm not going to give up. Guess I’ll just trust my instinct and walk again... In this vast forest!” She shouted. Nova started walking again. Minutes later, she started to feel like she’s just going in circles. Nova decided to test her instinct, dropped her cardigan under one of the trees and started walking again. Later, she saw her cardigan where she exactly dropped it. 

“Are you kidding me?!” she asked, looking ahead of her. Nova has been walking along the path that she’s been in. Just a straight line, no two ways, no changing of atmosphere, no everything. All this time, she’s just really walking in circles. 

“That’s how you play?” Nova talks to the trees again. "Well, guess what? I’m going to go this way.” She started to walk off the path and went to the right side of the forest. Minutes after walking again, the feeling of giving up started to cloud around her. “Is there really no way?” she paused as soon as she saw the thing ahead of her. A well, a massive, open water well. Hope was plastered on her face. “I’m not walking in circles. There is a way out!” Excited, she decided to walk again until she saw something beside the well. She slowly walks towards it. She gasped in shock. It’s a little girl. Sitting on the ground with her upper part resting against the well. Nova frantically walks towards the girl and lightly taps her, but her panic is visible in her movements. 

“Hey, can you hear me?” She checks her pulse. The thing that she found out made her legs feel weak. The face of Lucas flashed in her head, thinking of him. 

“Is she dead?”