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Kiaan!" I screamed as I heard the thud of him jumping into the roaring river. Quickly, I climbed up the huge rock, resulting in many palm injuries, but it was my last concern at this moment. Why did he have to jump into the river when he knew how dangerous it was? Why did he have to do this? The memories of the day from the beginning started to cross my mind, and I couldn't figure out why he'd have to do this.
I reached the top of the rock and looked at his drenched backpack as the waves were hitting the rock pretty hard.
I bent my knees and peered over the edge of the rock, hoping to spot him clinging to a branch or something, like in the movies. But there was nothing—just the relentless surge of the river, powerful enough to sweep someone to the other side of the world.
Shaking off the crushing weight of my thoughts, I scoured the landscape for any sign of him. My heart pounded as I inched closer to the edge, forcing myself to get a better view of the riverbanks, but he was nowhere in sight.
Desperation clawed at my chest as I roared his name, "Kiaan!" but the river's deafening roar drowned out my voice. I snatched up his backpack, tearing through the contents with trembling hands, but found nothing.
My mind raced, my pulse thundered. Without a second thought, I stripped off my own bag, ready to plunge into the fury below. It didn't matter if it meant risking my life—I couldn't leave him out there alone.
"Evyaan, no," Samayara's voice pierced through my panic.
"Samayara, I can't just leave him," I responded, my voice trembling with fear and frustration.
"Evyaan, this isn't the solution. Please, come down," Samayara pleaded, her voice quivering with emotion.
Reluctantly, I tossed both our backpacks down and descended from the rock. Samayara gathered the bags, her expression filled with worry as she glanced at me.
"Why would he do that?" I questioned myself, refusing to let my mind dwell on the possibilities.
"Samayara, I'm a strong swimmer. I know Kiaan is too, but—" I attempted to justify my urge to go after him. She approached me, her eyes filled with concern as she said, "This river is treacherous, Evyaan. It's incredibly deep, and the plants below are carnivorous. The force of the current could demolish a 20-story building," explaining all the details I missed when I was busy absorbing the beauty of this mountain, which somehow turned dreadful to me now.
"Evyaan, I need you to be sane for now. I know we'll find him. I'm sure," Samayara said, gently wrapping her scarf around my injured palm. I could only nod, still unable to fully comprehend what had transpired in the past twenty minutes.
"Let's head back for now," those words pierced my tongue. How could I leave Kiaan here in this wild forest, alongside that river? I tried to maintain my composure, observing Samayara doing her utmost to do the same. She nodded in agreement before inspecting his backpack to check if he had his phone with him.
