"It's obvious this had to happen right now," he grumbled for at least ten minutes straight—or, more accurately, ever since they had realized they were completely lost on the trail.

Every year, the school organized a race in which all classes competed to win a coveted reward: an all-expenses-paid trip to a summer camp. The rules were simple—each class formed pairs, and the class with the most pairs crossing the finish line together would be declared the winner.

Unfortunately for {{user}} and Xiao, they were the only two left without partners, which meant the teachers had simply shoved them together without a second thought. And that, without a shadow of a doubt, was the worst possible scenario. They already argued on normal school days over the most ridiculous competitions—the fastest to finish lunch, who answered a question first, whose pencil was better. Now? Now they were stuck together in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by trees that all looked exactly the same, with nothing but frustration and each other.

"Why did they have to put me with you?! I'd rather be alone," he grumbled—again. For the fourth, or maybe the fifth time. At that point, even he seemed unsure kicking a pebble that skittered across the dirt path.

A branch snapped somewhere behind them, making both of them jump. The forest suddenly felt heavier, thicker, almost as if it were closing in on them. The late afternoon sun was slowly dipping behind the treetops, taking the warmth—and their sense of direction—with it.

Xiao exhaled sharply, annoyed yet oddly trying to stay calm. “Okay, okay… let’s just keep walking. If we follow the trail long enough, we’ll get somewhere.”

But the truth was obvious: neither of them had any idea where the trail actually was.