Can’t Win Me Back

Elias frowned deeply; his worry etched onto his face.

"We've been shouting Ms. Alyssa's name the whole way.

With so many of us calling out, she should've heard us by now if she were nearby!" In a deep voice, Jasper said, The wind is too strong, and then there's the heavy snowfall.

Our voices are being drowned out.

Lyse might not hear us at all." Lyse.

Her nickname slipped from his lips before he even realized it.

"I'm just afraid she's injured—or worse, fainted.

If she blacks out in this cold..." Elias trailed off, his voice heavy with dread.

"Ona day like this, she won't survive long.

She'll freeze to death." The group exchanged uneasy glances, the reality of his words tightening their chests.

It wasn't that Elias was being a doomsayer.

Rather, this was the cruel reality that might actually happen.

Crater Mountain claimed lives every year.

Danger lurked unpredictably in the woods on the mountain—anything could unfold.

"Let's split up," Jasper commanded, his eyes fixed on the shadowy forest.

His voice carried an edge of desperation.

“We're not leaving until we find her." Elias hesitated.

"But what if—" "If anything happens to her," Jasper cut him off, his voice trembling with fierce determination, "I'll make this place my grave.

I mean it." Before anyone could respond, Jasper turned and strode into the darkness, his figure quickly swallowed by the night.

disappear,

with fiery hearts." Jasper

her a promise, all she asked was for him

didn't mean just

them to retrace their

go? Jasper's heart raced

arrived at the cave—the very place where he and Alyssa had once sought refuge during the

empty cave, memories of that day surged back —the harrowing brush with death, the suffocating

God doesn't protect you, I will." That promise

had not

He had remembered it.

world swirled

his strength gave

and weary, glistened with the weight of exhaustion and

"Alyssa...

find you..." Clenching his fists, he clawed at

in protest, but he pushed

"I have to...

midst of hopelessness, the temperature continued

as ruthless and cold as

huddled into a tight ball,

blanketed her almost entirely, rendering her

a chilling shade of purple as hypothermia took its

to awareness, her mind wavered in a

body would be frozen stiff, and she would be at death's

she

heartwarming childhood memories flickered

from her senses,

late mother had appeared,

"Lyse, my sweet girl.

Don't be afraid.

and gentle woman stroked her

you've been through