Just before Sehun took a step into the actual forest, he could feel something suddenly touch his shoulder. If it weren't for the strength of the grip, he wouldn’t have turned around. He couldn’t waste time; his whole system was burning with worry. “I will look for Ara,” Luhan said, looking him in the eyes, after he had unwillingly turned around. “I'm in charge of the students' well-being.”

Sehun narrowed his eyes. “Since you just said it yourself, I think you know that you're supposed to stay with the students here. What if something happens to them while you're away,” he half whispered, half hissed. That damn intern should remove his hand or I'll make him. Sehun had to find Ara as soon as possible. As Luhan didn’t react immediately, Sehun's already little patience snapped and he forcefully got rid of the grip before turning around and continuing to run.

He ran with all his might. Even as the unbearable scenarios his imagination threw at him were making hard to keep his mind clear. Even as the worry inside him was so strong that he had to constantly assure himself that Ara was most-likely alright so he wouldn’t burst. However, he simply couldn’t calm down without real proof. And real proof was having the girl in front of his eyes. Was feeling her skin under his fingers and having her scent in his nose.

In all his panic and worry, he ran without a sense of direction, not paying attention to the little branches that cut the skin of his hands and face. What if Ara– No! Focus on what's important! He mentally shouted as another scenario wanted to form in his mind. There was no time for such nonsense.

Sehun looked around, barely seeing something in the dark forest. He ran and ran. For the following minutes, it was just like that. And yet, there was no sign of Ara. The worry inside Sehun increased, causing him to halt for a moment after twenty minutes of consecutive running, and slam his fist against a tree. Breathing became hard – not just due to the running, but because of the terrible worry that seemed to suffocate him.

Panting heavily, Sehun slammed his fist against the tree again. “Damn it …” Over and over again, his skin was met with the rough bark of the tree, scratching and cutting his skin, but he didn’t care. All he could think about was Ara. His whole system was spelling her name, his eyes craving to see her, his ears urging to hear her, while his heart thumbed loudly and clearly against his chest.

Trying to calm himself down at least a bit, he moved forward again.

After another fifteen minutes, Sehun's lungs were burning. It was painful. Yes, but even more painful was the thought of something happening to Ara. And so, he drove himself on. To run and run, until he'd find her and could wrap his arms around her. Until he knew that she was save.

It was then, when he stumbled over a root in the ground, that his ears perceived a little sound that, he knew, wasn’t part of nature. He held still to reduce the sound of leafs crumpling under his weight, focusing on the noise. It was barely noticeable, but he could hear it. Sobs … soft ones.

All of a sudden, a feeling of overwhelming relief rushed through him and all the exhaustion from running was forgotten, as though it'd never been present. He turned his head to the direction it seemed to come from and then his eyes, that had long adjusted to the darkness by now, spotted it. Spotted her.

Ara was sitting there, hugging her knees, while burying her face at her knees. Before his eyes had time to study her figure more precisely and before his mind had time to take in the relief, his legs already shot forward. With a speed that prevented even himself from comprehending what was actually happening, he rushed to the girl.

Before he could even think, he had already thrown his arms around her. And all of a sudden, Sehun felt … felt alive like he hadn't in two months. The feeling of her, his beloved Ara, in his embrace was so overwhelmingly beautiful that he wanted to never let go again.

She was right here, right now. Alive. She was alright. Ara was alright.

And all of a sudden