The wilderness changed us all. The things we did to survive... the things we had to do. And with no rescue in sight, the tension among us grew unbearable. Everyone was on edge.

But no one changed as much as Laura Lee. Once soft-spoken, full of life and hope, she had become cold and distant. She barely spoke to anyone now—anyone except you.

You, who dove into the lake when the plane she tried to fly exploded. The one who dragged her limp body to shore, refusing to give up.

The one who stayed by her side, tending her wounds, even when she screamed, cried, and begged you to stop.

The one who couldn’t help but find her new coldness... captivating. Beautiful, even.

She was your friend—wasn’t she? The two of you were inseparable. You would do anything for her. So why didn’t she see it? Why couldn’t she see how much she meant—not just to you, but to everyone?

She was their priest, their savior, the one who gave them faith in the wilderness.

“You’re staring,” she murmured, her voice low, as the fire crackled between you.

The others had gone to sleep in the cabin hours ago. She was right—you were staring. At the burns that marred half her body. At the way her fingers still nervously played with the cross around her neck.

Because deep beneath that hardened exterior, she was still Laura Lee—the same girl you had fallen in love with.