So that was why. I knew it. If Colin had made the decision himself to attend the conference, he would have told me earlier.I whispered to Professor King, "I would've done the same."He felt guilty after hearing what I said. "I can only hope that Colin is safe. Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to forgive myself. He wouldn't have been in danger if I hadn't nominated him. He's my best student. His safety means everything to me.""Don't say that, Professor King. No pain, no gain. This is a trial Colin must undertake. Come. I have faith in him. He must be waiting for us to rescue him somewhere."It was my turn to console him. Moved, he patted on my shoulder and nodded. Tears welled up in his eyes. "Yes, we must have faith. Let's go."Professor King and I helped each other as we walked with John to lead the way. Behind us were staff members who wore the same uniform from an organization. They were around 27 or 28 years old, and they carried many things with them. They seemed to be struggl
If possible, I'd stay very far away from Felix. Whenever I saw him, I'd be reminded of whatever happened earlier on. Colin's safety was my priority now. I did not want to be distracted by him.Felix wasn't deterred by my coldness. He asked if I wanted a throat lozenge as he had some.I did not want anything from him, be it a throat lozenge or a miracle pill. The damages he had done were irreparable. Not wanting to entertain him, I asked Winston to keep up with me.Winston heard me loud and clear and closed the distance. He inserted himself seamlessly between Felix and me, blocking Felix.Felix's expression froze. He understood that I did not want to see him. He didn't want to force me to change my mind, so he followed behind me silently."Are you not fond of Felix? I know many girls have a big, fat crush on him." Even guys loved to gossip.I pouted. "Well, they must be blind."Winston covered his mouth and chuckled. He said that I had a sense of humor.I inadvertently looked ba
The official rescue team sent us a young instructor to teach us the dos and don'ts of the rescue mission, how to protect ourselves, and what to do during an emergency. Then, he distributed all of us some tools."The front line is installing lights now. However, please be careful. Tell us right away should a problem arise. Don't act alone. Your reckless decision might complicate the whole operation. To avoid further complications, you must do your job well and proceed with caution."As the mudslide took place during the summer break, there weren't a lot of people at school. There were only 11 students who were staying for a summer art camp, the principal, four teachers, Colin, and the woman who was leading the volunteer construction work. In total, they were 18.It wasn't a huge number. But locating 18 individuals within a muddy mass spanning 500 square feet wide and four feet thick was a challenging task nevertheless.Black sand was everywhere.The mudslide took place more than 48
"I'll talk to the head of the operation." Professor King thought about my suggestion and went to consult the people in charge.After 20 minutes, he returned. He told me that the head of the operation proposed we dig two tunnels from two directions. We would dig the tunnel that passed through the building entrance to save the ones trapped inside the classroom.And if not all victims were there, we would slowly expand the area. The victims were only trapped for two days, and the mudslide wasn't a serious one. There had to be survivors. Once we found out where the rest of the victims were, the operation would go even more smoothly.One of the tunnels would connect the school entrance to the classroom door, while the other tunnel would connect the classroom's backdoor and the toilet.Now that we had a clear understanding of the rescue mission, the head of the operation said that we were making good progress. Everyone was in high spirits.I noticed that many volunteers were residents o
My loud voice turned the heads of those resting around us. They looked at me, and I realized that I must have disturbed them."Calm down, Luna. You alone won't be able to do much. We must listen to the organizer. Get some rest now. How are you supposed to take care of Colin if he turns out to be injured and you're too tired to look after him?"Professor King chastised me sternly. Uncle Austin came and told me that the professor was right. I should behave.He also added that he was just as desperate as me, but now wasn't the time to play the hero.Unable to argue against four other people, I found a spot next to Professor King and lay down obediently.Perhaps I was truly tired. The adrenaline that sustained me just now finally wore off. Within minutes, I fell asleep. I slept so soundly that I didn't dream at all.It was a very long slumber, and I was woken up by thunderous cheers. I opened my eyes. The sky was blue, and the flowers around me were blossoming. I was on the wooden pl
Upon hearing my voice, Colin's body stiffened. He turned around in disbelief. When he saw me, his body shuddered. Panic rushed to his eyes. He wanted to say something, and his feet moved as if he wanted to move toward me.But he looked at the woman in his arms and said, "Go back with Professor King first. I need to send her to the hospital."Something within me shattered.For once, Colin chose another woman over me in front of everyone.I told myself that Colin would never abandon me. He had to have a valid reason. The woman was injured. He couldn't leave her high and dry. That was how kind he was.Yet I couldn't fool myself. I couldn't get rid of the disappointment and heartbreak I felt. I cried. I felt cold, aggrieved, and upset.The moment I heard that a mudslide hit him, I was so worried about him that I couldn't eat or sleep. I told myself that I wouldn't find another man even in the event that he died.To save him, I was covered in mud. My knees hurt so much that I struggl
"Are you alright?" Winston let go of me and looked at my wrist with a worried expression. It was bruised from Felix's tight grip.I rubbed my slightly numb wrist and stopped looking at Felix. "Professor King, let's go back."Professor King nodded and led the way. Winston and I followed behind him while Felix and Austin tailed us.We walked back to where we came from. While the weather had improved, the path had not. It was still difficult to walk on.I trudged through the muddy path with my heavy shoes and wet pants. I proceeded mechanically. Every part of me screamed exhaustion, and every step was an uphill battle.I thought of giving up. Maybe I could just stay there. That way, I wouldn't have to face the unknown future.It was exhausting to enter the mountains, but back then, all I could think of was Colin. That was how I powered through. I had clung to the hope of bringing Colin home.But on my way back, I didn't have any motivation. All I could think of was Colin leaving wi
There were a lot of people in the corridor. I began looking from the entrance, and when I reached the deepest end, I saw Colin spacing out with his head lowered. He was in front of closed doors.Colin was covered in mud. There were even straws in his hair. His tall frame hunched forward, making him look defeated and despondent like something heavy was crushing his back. I didn't know what was on his mind. I stood there for five minutes and he never moved. He didn't even notice that I was there."Colin," I called out several feet away from him.He quickly looked around. When he saw me, his body briefly tensed up. Something appeared in his eyes, but I didn't catch it. Perhaps he was too worried about the victim, so he failed to notice my appearance earlier."What are you doing here?" Colin walked toward me and flashed a tired smile. He wanted to hug me, but when he saw his dirty hands, he decided against it. He pointed at the bench next to the wall and said, "Let's sit there."Col