“Come on! It’s just a camp. Why do you have three big bags?” Elara shouted at Alax in a teasing tone.

“Hey, it’s not that much! Two are shoulder bags, and one’s a trolley,” he replied, pointing at his luggage.

The packed trolley and one shoulder bag were on the couch. On the other side, Elara lounged comfortably, legs stretched out on the coffee table, munching chips from a big bucket of snacks while Alax stuffed another shoulder bag.

“Why aren’t you helping me? You’re just sitting there!” Alax complained, struggling to close the zipper that refused to move because of all the snack packets crammed inside.

Elara rolled her eyes, placed her chips on the table, and took the bag from his hands. Pulling out a few packets, she zipped it up easily.

“See? It’s easy,” she said smugly.

Alax looked at her with a warm smile. “I love you,” he said softly.

Elara froze for a second, her playful expression fading into something more serious. Before she could respond, Alax wrapped her in a quick hug.

“You’re the best. I love you, bestest friend,” he added with a grin, hugging her tighter.

“Ahh, okay, okay! Now let’s go,” Elara said, trying to pull him away.

“What time’s the bus?” Alax asked, stepping back.

“It’s at 10 a.m.,” Elara replied, gently pushing him toward the door.

Alax glanced at his watch. “It’s already 9:40!” he shouted, dashing into his room.

15 minutes later, he came out wearing slightly baggy jeans, a crisp white shirt, and black goggles. “How do I look?” he asked, striking a pose.

Elara’s eyes lingered on him for a moment. He looked amazing — he always did. She had always admired Alax… until she found out the truth. Now, she looked at him only as a friend. But for Alax, his feelings for Elara were slowly growing stronger.

“It’s 9:55,” Elara said, snapping out of her thoughts. “Let me call them to wait for us. Otherwise, we’ll miss the bus.”

As she dialed the number, Alax swung one bag over his shoulder, another across the other, and grabbed the trolley.

“What?! How can you leave without us?” Elara shouted into the phone.

Alax froze mid-step and dropped his shoulder bag to the floor. Elara turned toward him, eyes wide with anger.

“Just because of you, we missed the bus! How are we supposed to go now?” she demanded.

“My car…” Alax started to say, then stopped, realizing too late — his dad had taken the car back.

“Come on, go ahead — say it. Something about your car?” Elara teased, crossing her arms.

Alax smirked. “We could always ask Aria for hers,” he said, then looked at her sideways. “You’d be jealous though.”

“Why would I be jealous?” Elara snapped, frowning.

Alax chuckled and patted his own shoulder. “Relax, I’m joking. Let’s just take a taxi.”

They left the apartment together. Elara picked up her single shoulder bag and followed him toward the lift. As the elevator doors opened, they froze — Ronan was standing inside, carrying a heavy shoulder bag of his own.

His eyes met Elara’s first, then shifted to Alax. He was struggling slightly with the strap as he stepped back to make space.

“Wanna help?” Ronan offered, nodding toward Alax.

“I’ll manage,” Alax replied shortly. “And, for your info, the bus already left.”

“I know,” Ronan said calmly.

They rode down in silence. When the lift opened at the ground floor, Ronan headed straight to the parking area while Alax and Elara walked toward the gate to catch a taxi.

A few minutes later, a car screeched to a stop in front of them. Ronan rolled down the window.

“Get in,” he said from the driver’s seat.

Alax looked at Elara uncertainly. “Should we?”

Elara gave a short sigh. “Do we have another option?”

Without another word, Alax ran to the back, placed the bags in the trunk, and opened the rear door for Elara. She slid into the back seat while Alax moved to join her.

“Sit with me,” Ronan said, glancing at them through the rearview mirror. “It’ll look like I’m your driver if you sit back there.”

Alax hesitated but obeyed, taking the passenger seat beside him. Ronan started the car, and the three drove off in heavy silence, the air thick with unspoken thoughts.

The road twisted upward toward the green hills, the air turning fresher with every turn. When they finally reached the mountain campsite, Alax hopped out first to unload the bags. Elara stepped out next, stretching her arms wide toward the mist-covered slopes.

“Finally,” she breathed, smiling softly at the view.

“Hi, Ronan!” a cheerful voice called from the parking area.

They all turned. A girl was running toward them — Lisa. She rushed straight into Ronan’s arms, hugging him tightly.

Elara’s smile faded, replaced by something she couldn’t hide — a flicker of jealousy. Alax noticed it instantly. His gaze lingered on her face for a moment before he stepped closer and gently grabbed her hand.

“Come on, everyone’s waiting,” he said quietly, leading her away.

Ronan carefully pulled Lisa off him and looked toward Elara and Alax walking away, still hand in hand. His jaw tightened.

“My dad asked me to join while I’m here,” Lisa said quickly. “You know your dad — he wanted us to spend time — “

“I know,” Ronan interrupted, his tone turning sharp. “But don’t cross any limits.”

Lisa frowned. “What limits? We were dating and — “

“Exactly. Were. But not anymore,” Ronan cut her off firmly.

He grabbed his bag from the backseat and walked off toward the trail, following the direction Elara and Alax had gone.

“Okay, everybody!” a boy shouted, standing in front of the group. He was one of the volunteers in charge of the camp. Four more members stood behind him while the rest of the class sat in a circle on the ground, chatting and laughing.

“So,” the boy continued, clapping his hands, “we’re going to start with a little activity. We’ll form teams of two, and each pair must climb to the mountain. The team that reaches the top first wins! The prize will be announced later. So, make your teams!”

The group immediately came alive with chatter. Students started looking around, calling out to friends, and choosing partners.

Ronan didn’t move. He was standing a little apart, watching Elara and Alax laughing together as they quickly teamed up.

Elara didn’t glance his way, but her mind wasn’t at ease. Lisa. The name itself kept echoing. Lisa had somehow managed to join their college camp — no surprise, since she always had connections — and ever since, she hadn’t left Ronan’s side.

“Hey, guys, calm down!” the volunteer called out again. “We’ll make the teams for you instead.”

He nodded to another boy beside him, who brought out two small containers.

“There are names in these containers,” he explained. “Half the students’ names are in one, and the other half in the second. We’ll draw one chit from each and pair them up.”

He started picking names. One by one, teams were announced — and then came the moment that made Elara freeze.

“Elara and Ronan!” the boy called out.

Lisa’s face fell instantly. She was clearly not happy with that result.

Alax wasn’t thrilled either. He had hoped to team up with Elara, but luck wasn’t on his side — he was paired with another boy. He looked at Elara with exaggerated sadness, pretending to pout. Elara laughed softly and playfully pushed him, and he stumbled backward, making everyone laugh.

“Sorry, sorry!” Elara said quickly as a few eyes turned toward her.

The volunteer clapped again. “Alright, everyone, you’ve got ten minutes to get ready before we start!”

Lisa, however, wasn’t about to give up. She walked straight over to the volunteer team, trying to convince them to switch her partner. After a few minutes of pleading, they finally agreed.

Ronan was still standing near the tent, his bag slung over his shoulder, saying nothing. Elara started walking toward him, ready to say something — 

But before she reached him, another volunteer raised his voice.

“Hey, everyone! There’s a small change in the team list,” he announced.

Elara stopped mid-step.

“Ronan and Lisa will be a team,” he continued, “and Elara, you’ll be paired with Steve.”

Elara nodded quietly, glancing toward Ronan. He didn’t say a word. Lisa, on the other hand, looked very pleased as she joined Ronan with a bright smile.

Elara looked away, trying to ignore the strange pang in her chest. Why do I even care? She thought.

She turned toward the boy named James, who waved at her politely. They introduced themselves, sharing a few easy smiles as the volunteers blew a whistle to signal the start.

“Alright, everyone — go!”

Twenty-five pairs began their journey up the hill, laughter and shouts echoing across the green slopes as the mountain challenge officially began.

“Ronan, wait for me!” Lisa shouted, panting as she tried to catch up. Ronan was already a few steps ahead on the steep trail, his backpack bouncing slightly with every stride.

Behind them, Elara and her partner hiked at a steady pace, with Alax and his teammate not far behind. Alax, however, wasn’t paying much attention to his assigned partner. His eyes kept drifting toward Elara.

After a few minutes, he quietly left his teammate and quickened his pace, moving beside her.

Elara’s partner frowned and stepped between them. “Hey, man, I want to win this thing. You’re distracting my partner,” he said, half-laughing but clearly irritated.

Alax stopped in front of him. “She’s my best friend from high school,” he snapped.

“Well, she’s my partner now. So stop talking and let her hike,” the boy shot back.

Elara sighed and turned to Alax. “Alax, go to your partner,” she said firmly.

Reluctantly, Alax nodded and stepped away, heading back down the path to join his teammate.

The group spread out as the forest thickened. The trail wound between tall trees and uneven rocks, and soon everyone was out of sight from one another. Only the faint sound of voices and footsteps echoed between the trunks.

Far ahead, Ronan was climbing steadily, the silence between him and Lisa heavy.

“Ronan, I think we should talk about… that,” Lisa said at last, breathing hard.

He didn’t look back. But after a moment, something in her voice made him stop.

Lisa sat down on a large stone, unscrewing her water bottle. Ronan hesitated, then walked back and sat beside her.

“Okay,” he said quietly. “Let’s finish it here. After this, you go your way, and I’ll go mine.”

Lisa didn’t respond right away. She just stared down at the bottle in her hands. Ronan looked away, his gaze lost in the trees swaying above them.

“You changed your hair color,” Lisa said finally.

He gave a short, humorless laugh. “So that’s what you wanted to say?”

Lisa’s shoulders dropped. “I’m sorry… about that day.”

Ronan smirked faintly, though his eyes stayed distant. “You’ve known me since childhood. You know I have a trauma about people leaving… or making me wait.”

“I know,” Lisa whispered, “but I didn’t realize you’d actually stay there… all night.”

“There are only a few people I care about,” Ronan said slowly. “You were one of them.”

Lisa swallowed, her voice trembling. “I’m sorry, Ronan.”

He nodded slightly, but his expression tightened. “That night, I kept thinking about my mom — how she left me. I was sitting there with that stupid cake, waiting for you. When you didn’t show up, I felt the same pain again.”

His voice lowered. “I hate when people make me wait. Especially when they know how important they are to me.”

The forest around them was silent, the only sound the faint rustle of wind through the leaves. Lisa’s eyes shimmered, but she said nothing. Ronan just stared ahead, the ache of old wounds pressing against his chest like it had never truly left.

Ronan’s eyes lowered, his shoulders tense and unreadable. Lisa stepped closer, the guilt clear in her trembling voice.

“I won’t let you wait again,” she whispered, cupping his face gently in her hands. “I’m sorry, Ronan.”

He didn’t say a word. His silence stretched between them, thick and heavy.
 Because at that moment, his mind wasn’t here — not in the forest, not with Lisa.

He was back in front of that old grocery store years ago.
 The afternoon sun had been too bright, his small hands clutching the edge of a paper bag while his mother smiled faintly and said, “I’ll be right back, sweetheart.”
 She never came back.

The memory tightened in his chest like a knot that never untied.

Lisa, seeing the pain flicker in his eyes, couldn’t stop herself. She wrapped her arms around him, holding him tightly as if her warmth could erase years of hurt.

At that very moment, Elara and her teammate appeared from the narrow path behind them.
 From where they stood, it looked like Ronan and Lisa were embracing out of love, not pain.

Elara froze. Her heart clenched, confusion flashing in her eyes. She turned away quickly, pretending not to notice, and grabbed her partner’s arm.

“Let’s take the other route,” she said softly.

Her teammate frowned but followed without question. They turned left into a denser part of the forest, the path narrowing until the trees began to look alike.

Minutes passed, then more. The air grew colder.

“Where to go next?” her teammate finally shouted in frustration. “We’ve been walking forever! We’re lost because of you!”

Elara tried to stay calm, though her pulse was racing. “We… we’ll find the way. Just relax.”

“Relax?” he snapped, throwing his hands in the air. “You’re an idiot, and I’m the bigger idiot for listening to you!”

He dropped to the ground, pressing his hands over his head, groaning in frustration.

Before Elara could respond, a sharp noise echoed through the trees — a crack, then a whisper of movement.

“What was that?” her teammate gasped.

“I don’t know,” Elara stammered.

They turned instinctively and started running in the opposite direction. Her teammate was faster; within seconds, he was far ahead.

Elara tried to keep up, but her foot caught on a thick tree branch buried under fallen leaves. She stumbled forward and fell hard to the ground. Pain shot through her leg, and when she tried to move, she realized her right ankle was trapped under the heavy branch.

“Wait!” she called out, her voice breaking. “Come back!”

But her teammate was gone.

She struggled to free herself, but the branch was too heavy. Blood seeped from a deep cut in her right hand where a sharp stick had pierced through the skin. Her leg throbbed, and every movement sent waves of pain shooting through her body.

Her breaths grew shallow. The forest spun.

After a few more desperate attempts to pull her leg free, her strength gave out. The pain, the blood, and the fear blurred together until everything turned dark.

Elara fell unconscious, alone among the trees.