The Lonely King | Ongoing [New Edition]

27 | Lost and Found

"When you hold me

In your arms so tight,

You let me know

Everything's all right.

I, I'm hooked on a feeling."

❁❁❁

AFTER THE THREE girls left, Marla returned with Greyson, who swiftly bandaged my foot up and advised me not to do anything too physically strenuous for the next couple of days. Robin remained by my side the entire time, allowing me to use his hand as my personal stress-ball whenever Greyson put a little too much pressure on my swollen ankle. He didn't complain, but I felt a little guilty afterwards when I saw the deep crescent-moon indentations my nails left on his skin.

We waited anxiously for news of our missing friends, but it wouldn't be until it was nearly six in the morning— six hours since they disappeared, that a bright blue smoke would float out of the trees and into the sky, signalling to everyone that Asher and Emily had been found.

By the time they arrived back in camp, everyone was awake and aware about what had transpired in the night when they were all asleep. Rumours about how they ended up getting lost already started to circulate around the small campsite.

Robin helped me walk to the edge of the dense thicket, where Emily emerged with the ranger who had found her, a thick blanket wrapped around her tiny frame, but Asher was still nowhere to be found. Robin and I shared a look of concern as we approached Emily. I tried my best to walk as quickly as I could with my injured foot, and threw my arms around her once she was within my reach, pulling her into a bone-crushing hug.

"Le-xi, can't— breathe!" Emily choked out. I let her go, grabbing her face with both hands and examining her for any obvious injuries.

"Are you alright? Did you get hurt? What happened?" I asked hurriedly.

"I'm alright, Lexi," she said, letting out a weak laugh as she tried to reassure us that she was alright. "It wasn't so bad."

"Where's Asher?" Robin asked, his eyebrows scrunching together. Emily blinked, looking at the both of us in confusion.

"What do you mean?" Emily asked.

"He wasn't with you when you were found?" I asked, tilting my head to one side. That means...Asher was still lost in the woods, right?

"N-No," Emily replied, her confused expression morphing into one of worry. "Did something happen to him? I went into the woods to try to find him but I got lost before I could..."

As soon as she replied, another puff of blue smoke appeared from deep inside the woods, and the three of us let out a collective sigh of relief. Asher had been found, too. Emily turned to look at the trail of coloured smoke rising into the sky, a worried look plastered across her face.

"Asher was lost, too?" Emily asked anxiously. Before either of us could answer, Greyson walked up to the three of us and helped Emily to her feet.

"Miss Park, let's go into the medical aid tent for a check-up," Greyson instructed. Emily blinked, looking at me and then back at Greyson.

"I'm fine," she said quickly. "I'll wait for Asher to return."

"Miss Park," Greyson said, shooting her a look. Emily sent us a pleading look, but I sighed and shook my head, beckoning her to follow our camp instructor.