“So, now that everyone is here, let’s announce the winner!” one of the volunteers shouted.

Around him, the students were scattered — half sitting on the ground, some leaning against rocks, all of them utterly exhausted after the hike.
 A few managed weak claps when they heard the announcement.

“The first team to reach the top is… Ronan and Lisa!” the volunteer declared.

There was polite applause — soft, tired, and short-lived. Everyone was too drained to cheer.

Ronan, however, wasn’t celebrating. He stood still, his eyes scanning the crowd with a strange tension in his face.

“Wait,” he said suddenly, his voice sharp enough to silence the noise. “Someone’s missing.”

The volunteer blinked. “Who?”

“Elara,” Ronan replied immediately, his heart tightening.

At that very moment, Alax, who had been lying flat on the ground, shot up like someone had poured ice water over him.
 “What did you say?” he asked, his voice shaky.

“Where’s her teammate?” Ronan demanded.

Alax’s eyes darted around until he spotted the boy sitting quietly near the tent. He strode toward him in long, furious steps, grabbed him by the collar, and pulled him up.

“Where is she?” Alax shouted.

“I — I don’t know,” the boy stammered, looking terrified.

Ronan came up behind Alax, his tone calm but edged with steel. “She was with you. How can you not know?”

The boy’s voice trembled. “We… we lost our way in the forest. Then we heard something — some noise — and we ran. I don’t know where she went after that. I swear, I don’t know!”

Alax’s eyes blazed. “If you ran together, then why is she not here!” He shoved the boy hard, his frustration boiling over.

Without wasting another second, he turned and sprinted down toward the forest.

“I’ll search that side — you take the other,” Ronan said quickly, and they split up, both running into the darkening woods.

Hours passed. The forest grew silent and heavy under the setting sun.
 Students and volunteers spread out, calling Elara’s name again and again, their voices echoing through the trees.

Ronan was breathing hard as he moved deeper into the woods. His flashlight beam flickered over broken branches and leaves. Then, something caught his eye — Elara’s bag lying near a tree.

His pulse jumped.

He knelt, saw a small streak of blood on the ground, and followed it. A few steps later, he found her water bottle, half buried under leaves.

“Please… please be okay,” he whispered to himself as he ran forward.

Then he saw her.

Elara was lying motionless on the ground. Her right arm was bleeding badly — an old stick still lodged into her skin — and her leg was trapped under a fallen tree branch.

“Elara!” Ronan shouted, rushing to her side.

He dropped to his knees and began pulling the heavy branch with all his strength. After several desperate attempts, he managed to lift it just enough to free her leg.

“Elara, open your eyes,” he said, voice trembling. “Come on, look at me.”

There was no response. Panic spread through him. He grabbed her water bottle and splashed some over her face.

Her eyelids fluttered, then slowly opened.

When she saw him, tears filled her eyes.

“Ronan… “ she whispered weakly.

“Shh. I’m here, okay? You’re safe now. Let’s get you out of here.”

He reached to lift her, but she cried softly, “It hurts…”

“I know,” he said gently. “I’ll carry you.”

Just as he was about to lift her, a familiar voice broke through the forest.

“Elara!”

Alax burst through the trees, breathless, his face pale. The moment he saw her, something in him broke. He ran to her, dropped to his knees, and wrapped her in his arms.

“Where have you been? I was scared to death!” he said, voice shaking.

Elara buried her face against his shoulder, her tears spilling freely. “Why did it take so long?” she whispered between sobs.

Her teammate and a few other students arrived behind them, gasping at the sight. Ronan turned toward the boy — his jaw clenched — and before anyone could stop him, he punched him hard across the face.

“How dare you call yourself human!” Ronan shouted, grabbing his collar. “You left her there!”

The others quickly pulled Ronan back, trying to calm him down.

Alax carefully lifted Elara into his arms. “We need to get her to the hospital. Now.”

Everyone followed as they hurried down the mountain, Ronan and Alax leading the way.

And for the first time that day, Ronan’s hands were shaking — not from exhaustion, but from fear of what might have happened if they’d been just a few minutes later.