The faint glow of dawn touched the horizon, spilling through the hotel's curtains in shades of pale gold. Elle stirred awake first. The hush of the morning felt heavier than usual, and for a moment, she simply lay still, listening to Amara's even breaths beside her.
"Wake up Amara" she whispered, nudging her friend gently.
Amara groaned and buried her face deeper into the pillow. "You're cruel. The bed is warm."
Elle smirked. "And the hot spring won't be if we get there too late."
That earned a laugh. Amara sat up, rubbing her eyes. "Fine. But only because you said hot spring."
Elle stretched, grabbed her phone, and dialed Noah. After three rings, his sleepy voice answered, "What's burning?"
"Not breakfast," Elle replied flatly. "Wake everyone. We're leaving soon."
A groan, then: "Bossy."
"Efficient," Elle corrected, ending the call.
Breakfast & Departure
The dining area smelled faintly of toasted bread and fresh fruit. Vincent's group was already there, gathered around the long table. He sat at the far end, black coffee in hand, posture as composed as ever.
"Good morning," Clarisse greeted brightly when Elle and Amara walked in. Her voice carried that lilting, deliberate cheerfulness that always felt rehearsed.
Elle offered a polite nod and took a seat across from Amara.
Clarisse leaned closer to Vincent, her eyes gleaming with familiarity.
"Do you remember our trip to Prague? The little café we stumbled on after we got lost—"
Vincent's gaze flickered from the map on his phone to her, his tone even but distant.
"I remember," he said shortly, then shifted the conversation. "But this isn't the time to walk down memory lane."
Clarisse blinked, slightly unsettled, though she forced a smile.
The awkward silence that followed was broken by Noah dropping into a chair, hair messy but grin intact. "Who's ready to pretend hiking is fun?"
"Don't you dare slow us down," Amara shot back.
Their banter carried the group through breakfast. They packed sandwiches and fruit into small lunch bags, checked their hiking tools from yesterday's purchase, and set out toward the trail.
The Hike
The path wound steeply upward, shaded by tall trees that filtered the morning sun. Birds sang overhead, their calls sharp and bright against the crunch of boots on gravel.
Elle walked with Amara and Lena, the three of them laughing over Lena's disastrous attempt to pack light.
"Ten protein bars is not light," Elle teased.
"I panic-eat when I hike," Lena admitted sheepishly.
Behind them, Clarisse trailed closer to Vincent. Her voice softened, coaxing. "How is Noel these days? Still following you around like a shadow?"
Vincent stopped mid-step. His tone turned sharp, final. "Don't mention my brother again."
The abruptness silenced Clarisse. A faint flush crept up her cheeks as the others glanced back curiously, but Vincent strode forward, unbothered.
Kai, walking near Noah, caught the moment and muttered, "Guy could freeze boiling water."
Noah chuckled. "That's generous. He'd shatter it."
Still, Kai's eyes flickered toward Elle, protective and thoughtful, as if already bracing for trouble.
Meanwhile, Giselle lingered near Clarisse, her gaze drifting to Elle. "She always finds a way to be in the center, doesn't she?" she murmured.
Clarisse didn't reply, but this time, she didn't walk away either.
The Cave Entrance
The mouth of the cave loomed ahead, wide and dark, cool air spilling out like a secret. Vincent turned, his voice commanding.
"This cave is a labyrinth. We marked the path yesterday, but don't stray. Stick together, or you'll get lost."
Everyone nodded, the tone serious now, and they stepped into the dim tunnels.
The Hot Spring
Ten minutes in, the passage opened to a vast chamber. A natural pool shimmered, lit by shafts of sunlight breaking through cracks above. Steam rose, curling into the cool cave air.
"It's beautiful," Amara whispered.
"Worth the hike," Lena added, her awe mirrored in everyone's faces.
They shed their jackets and waded into the spring. Warmth enveloped them instantly, easing sore muscles. For hours, laughter and splashes echoed against stone, voices blurring into comfort.
By early afternoon, hunger pulled them from the water. They dried off, changed into fresh clothes, and ate their packed lunch in a cluster on flat rocks. Light reflected on the water, painting the cavern in a mosaic of silver and gold.
The Trouble
When it was time to leave, the group packed quickly. In the flurry, Giselle slipped Amara's phone and tucked it behind a rock near the hot spring.
Near the exit, she spoke suddenly. "Amara—your phone! Did you bring it?"
Amara froze, panic flashing in her eyes. "No—I must've left it—" She turned and bolted back into the cave.
"Amara!" Elle shouted, running after her. "Don't be reckless!"
The sound of a phone ringing drifted deeper into the cavern.
Search & Rescue
Back near the exit, Vincent reacted immediately. "Stay here," he ordered the others. "Noah, come with me. If we're not back in half an hour, call emergency services."
Kai stepped forward. "I'll go too."
Vincent's gaze hardened. "No. You'll stay at the entrance. If anything happens to the rest of them while we're gone, it's on you."
Kai clenched his jaw but nodded, accepting the responsibility.
Inside, footsteps echoed. After twenty tense minutes, they found Elle crouched beside Amara, who clutched her ankle.
"She twisted her foot," Elle explained.
"I'm fine," Amara protested. "But my phone—"
"Forget the phone," Noah snapped. "You could've gotten lost."
Vincent's voice cut through. "Noah, take her out. Elle, go with them. I'll get the phone."
"No," Elle said firmly. "She won't calm down unless she gets it back. And I can call it while we search."
His eyes narrowed, but he didn't argue. Noah muttered under his breath, hoisting Amara onto his back. "This is the last time I play babysitter."
Elle and Vincent turned back into the cavern.
Vincent & Elle
The silence between them stretched. The cave dripped faintly, water echoing off stone. Elle finally spoke, voice light.
"Do you always order people around like that?"
"Yes," Vincent replied simply.
She smirked. "Charming."
"Effective."
For a moment, her laugh broke the tension, soft and unexpected. "You sound like Noah. Except with fewer jokes."
They walked a few more steps before she dialed Amara's number again. The ringtone echoed faintly.
"There," Vincent said, pointing to the rock. The phone lay where Giselle had hidden it.
Elle picked it up, brushing dust away. "Found it. Happy ending."
But Vincent didn't move right away. His gaze lingered on her, unreadable.
"You shouldn't have followed me," he said finally.
"Maybe not," Elle admitted. "But then you'd have been alone in here. And that's worse."
The faintest twitch pulled at his lips, almost—almost—a smile.
At the Entrance
When Noah emerged with Amara, Clarisse immediately stepped forward. "Where's Vincent? Why did you leave him—with her?"
"With Elle, you mean?" Noah shot back. "Because she was helping him. Calm down."
Clarisse's eyes narrowed, her resentment sharper now.
Minutes later, Vincent and Elle reappeared, phone in hand. Relief rippled through the group, though Clarisse's glare never left Elle.
Emergency staff treated Amara quickly. "Just a twist," the doctor said. "Two days, no strain, and you'll be fine."
Amara flushed, embarrassed by her overreaction.
The group began their trek back, quieter now.
Back at the hotel
By evening, everyone scattered to their rooms. Amara, still nursing her foot, applied the ointment Elle had given her and drifted into sleep, her breathing soft and steady. Beside her, Elle sat upright in bed with a book open, the warm glow of the bedside lamp casting a quiet halo around her. She turned the pages with unhurried grace, her grey eyes occasionally lifting toward the window, thoughtful, unreadable.
Outside, the corridors hushed, the island wrapped in its own nocturnal stillness. On a balcony down the hall, Clarisse leaned against the railing, her gaze fixed on the waves glittering faintly beneath the moonlight. A soft shuffle of footsteps announced Giselle's arrival. She joined her in silence, and after a long moment, her lips curved into a sly smile.
"She reads, as if the world cannot touch her," Giselle murmured, her voice laced with disdain.
Clarisse's eyes narrowed, sharp and deliberate. "Then let's be the ones who do."
A flicker of amusement passed between them, an unspoken understanding sparking to life. The sea wind curled around their laughter—low, knowing, and dangerous.
Back inside her room, Elle turned another page, her face calm and composed in the lamplight. She seemed far removed from the whispers outside her door, yet there was something in her stillness that suggested otherwise—like a flame waiting, patient and unwavering, for the wind to try and test its strength.