n

n

nAfter Emilin got off her phone, she was finally able to take a good look at the view in front of her.

nThe sun had yet to rise and so it was still rather dark, but it was illuminated enough that she could see her surroundings without having to use her own light source. There were a couple of lights in the distance, coming from the flashlights of those who treaded in front of her and had already left her behind.

nThere were also the lights that came from behind her, from the buildings that had already opened before sunrise.

nEmilin straightened up her back and looked up at the path that she was going to be taking. With a deep breath, Emilin pushed the inside of her bag straps with her thumbs, getting a firmer grip on everything she was carrying with her.

nShe felt like nothing that had troubled her in her past mattered at this moment.

nOnly the path ahead was of any importance.

nOf course, these problems she had didn't simply disappear, Emilin just let them fade away to the back of her mind for an instance.

nTaking each step forward with a peculiar confidence.

nWith the attention she was putting on her every physical movement, she didn't have time to think about anything else, which was a good thing.

nBefore she had even taken her first step, she had already set a goal for herself. One that she wanted to accomplish in this short trip.

nShe liked to set goals for herself so that she would have a tangible method to determine her success, which she used to motivate her in order to move forward.

nAfter walking an inclined path for around 15 minutes at a moderate pace, Emilin had to take out her own flashlight as she was already too far away to use the lights from the buildings as a light source.

nAt the same time, the people who had been moving in front of her had also pulled some more distance, leaving Emilin in the dust.

nShe could still barely make out some lights, but most people had already moved past a certain piece of land, which covered Emilin's view.

n'Is this the merit of fresh air?' Emilin pondered on some trivial thoughts as she made large strides along her path.

n'Every breath I take is less suffocating than the last.' Emilin thought.

n'How did I even survive breathing such suffocating air in the past?'

n'Did I hold my breath?'

nHer thoughts seemed both trivial and paramount at the same time.

nIt wasn't until she inhaled deep breaths that she realized; she had been holding back all this time without her own knowledge.

nMaybe it was due to the physical exercise or even the freshness of this air, but Emilin felt like she could finally take a moment to breathe.

n'How funny. It's something as fundamental as breathing, yet I feel like I've been doing it wrong my whole life.' Emilin chuckled at her own ridiculousness.

n'Do I take breathing for granted?'

nAt some point, this thought popped up.

n'People take shallow breaths, breathing only when necessary, as the norm, and fail to realize when they are lacking in air.'

n'Suffocating in everything.'

n'Suffocating in everyone.'

n'Suffocating with every extra thought.'

n'Everything is piled up until they become tense enough to explode and only then, do they know to breathe. But how many cases are there where it's simply too late?'

n'How many people just stop and take some time to breathe. Something as fundamental as breathing will prevent you from suffocation, yet some people seem to like the thrill of being surrounded.'

n'Is this why some people meditate? Perhaps I should try.' Emilin thought.

nIf meditating has a chance to solve even 1% of her troubles, then she was more than willing to try. She didn't want her parents to worry too much in the future. She was too scared that something like what had happened at the hotel was going to happen again when she went back home.

nShe had to solve as much as she could before her 2-year deadline before she went to school.

nShe wanted to have normal interactions thereafter so now she had to work on herself.

nBefore Emilin knew it, it was already 10 AM and she had been walking without stopping for over 4 hours while carrying her large bag.

nHer legs were only slightly sore, which led her to stop at a big rock at the side, dropping her bag on the floor next to her feet.

nEven though the weather was rather nice, not at all hot, Emilin's back was already soaked due to the bag she was carrying.

nShe took out some garlic flatbread that she had bought at a morning breakfast stall earlier in the day, next to the bus stop. The garlic flatbread couldn't be left for the next day, so she was planning on finishing it up today.

n'This is really great; it deserves to be the specialty here.'

nEmilin thoroughly enjoyed the meal.

nEven though it wasn't piping hot anymore, even after so many hours, it was still soft on the inside while maintaining its crisp exterior. The garlic part was just a big plus.

n'Gosh, imagine how good it would have been if it were still hot.'

nShe didn't have any appetite that early in the morning and she didn't want to eat right before a long hike which was what led her to decide not to eat, but now she wished that she had taken just one bite back then to try it while it was still in its prime state.

nWell, it's too late to regret it now, there is really no point in doing so either.

n'I'll just get some piping hot ones on my way back.'

nJust as Emilin finished her meal, some other people could be heard running from the same path that she had come from.

n'Hm, the next batch already caught up to me? Am I going that slowly?'

nIn the past four hours, there had already been some people who went back to the entrance, passing by Emilin on their way. They shared a wave before parting ways, but since Emilin had always been on the move, and she hadn't exactly been going slowly, she hadn't met anyone that came after her.

nWell, these next people might have come using another mode of transport, but Emilin was assuming that they had also taken the bus.

nPeople who only came out for a walk, hiking for fun, wouldn't have come this deep into the mountains.

nOut of curiosity, Emilin looked in the direction these people were coming from. They were currently on a somewhat even path and the new group was still a distance away from Emilin.

nShe had noticed them due to the approaching sound of the footsteps that filled the quiet mountains.

nThe closer they got the louder the footsteps and the clearer Emilin could hear.

nThe steps were incredibly uneven and rushed.

nWhen her sight caught up with her hearing, what she saw was a group of males that looked like they were running away from a beast.

nAt first, Emilin was preparing to grab her bag and run for it, it truly looked like there was a monster chasing these people, but when she heard the conversation they were having while running she released a sigh of relief.

nWell rather than a conversation, it was more like they were shouting at someone to stop and show mercy.

nThankfully their terminology told Emilin that it wasn't some gang or mafia chasing them.

n

"Brother! Don't do this to us anymore.

" A muscular man with dark hair, caramel skin, and dark green eyes running at the front shouted. He was mildly out of breath, but it was nothing compared to the people who followed.

nEven so, this man who looked to be a professional bodybuilder looked like he was about to cry while begging this 'Brother' to stop whatever it was that he was doing.

n

"We know we were wrong. Please stop! Give us a chance.

" The person next to the first bodybuilder seemed to be in the best condition after the dark green-eyed man, but his desperation ran even deeper than the person running slightly ahead of him. His shoulder-length ash grey hair was sticking to the back of his neck and a red tint was creeping up his neck.

n

"COME ON! Second captain won't know if you let us off this one time!

" The man running behind the second man already had visible tears and snot running off to the sides of his face due to the speed at which he was running.

nHe was truly flailing his arms with all his might…

n

"Pre—pretty pl--- ea—ease.

" The last one at the back of the crew spat out his words with all his might.

nHe was already completely out of breath, his face already becoming red, which was especially noticeable due to his pale skin.

nAs for the person who had caused all this distress for these four people.

nIt had to be the person who followed after, no, chased after, these 4 in such a leisurely pace that one would think he was actually taking a stroll at the park.

nHe had an incredibly small stature compared to the people around him, almost that of a teen, but Emilin had a hard time believing that he was actually a teen just from the way he was being treated in this group.

nEven so, he didn't fall behind the speed of the four in front of him, in fact, he was making sure that those four would keep up their pace.

n

"Do you guys actually believe what you say?

" This person casually asked.

n