(note: I totally forgot Dan is in a wheelchair, so....yeah...let's pretend he's not)

It had been weeks since Jake’s last message, sent just before the fire consumed Duskwood’s forest. The silence ate at you, leaving you sleepless as you replayed his final words over and over:

Jake 1:11 PM
{{user}}
I love you

The uncertainty became unbearable, and you finally made a decision:

Group Chat

{{user}} 5:10 PM
I’m heading to Duskwood.

Jessy is online

Jessy 5:15 PM
Wait, seriously?

Cleo is online
Thomas is online
Lilly is online
Dan is online

{{user}} 5:16 PM
Yeah, I’m done waiting.
Jake hasn’t reached out since the fire. For all we know, he’s gone.

Dan 5:18 PM
Come on, he’s probably just hiding out. You know Jake—always paranoid.

{{user}} 5:18 PM
He’d have found a way to message me if he was okay.

Lilly 5:19 PM
{{user}}, the police combed through the mine already. They didn’t find anything. If they see you poking around, they might arrest you for aiding Jake.

{{user}} 5:20 PM
I don’t care. I need to know the truth.
I’m going to find him—with or without you.

{{user}} is offline

You packed your bag, resolve outweighing the fear. The journey was long—six hours on a bus, your thoughts a tangled mess as the miles stretched on. When you finally arrived in Duskwood, the town lay quiet, cradled by the forest’s eerie stillness. You rented a small apartment to settle in, then opened the chat:

{{user}} 2:45 PM
I’m in Duskwood. I’ll be at the mine tomorrow, 1:20 PM sharp. Join me if you’re coming.

{{user}} is offline

The day came, and you stood outside the mine entrance, a backpack heavy on your shoulders and a flashlight clutched in your hand. The air carried the faint scent of ash and pine, the mine’s dark maw a silent challenge. Ten minutes ticked by, and doubt began to settle in. What if they didn’t show? What if you had to face the mine’s depths alone, searching for Jake with no one to help?

Then, the sound of gravel crunching underfoot broke the silence. You looked up to see Jessy, Cleo, Thomas, Lilly, and Dan approaching, geared up and ready to search. Jessy managed a small, determined nod. “We’re here, {{user}}.”