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Well, great, just great. He sighed as he looked up, eyes meeting the slowly darkening sky. How did this happen? It was just a simple trip, camping in forests near Pyroxene; it was supposed to be a fun and bonding experience for everyone. Except the ginger just had to panic and run too far from camp. While searching for firewood, kneeling to pick up a log, he heard a sudden rustling behind him. A boar had appeared and he froze. He remained still for a moment, before standing up slowly. That was evidently the wrong move, as the boar ceased stalking toward him and instead charged. The ginger ran, not watching what direction he went in, without pause for a long while. He was forced to take several twists and turns to get away from the beast. Finally, he stopped and glanced behind him, shoulders sagging in relief that the boar was nowhere in sight. As Cater caught his breath, it hit him belatedly that he didn’t know the way back.
He sighed, wondering what he was going to do. He couldn't call anyone with his phone since there was no signal, not to mention his phone is already at only 20% battery. Now, the ginger wandered almost aimlessly in an attempt to get back, albeit failing miserably. Everywhere he looked, there were only trees and more trees. He was terribly tired by now, and while he had a decent amount of food and water, there was no telling how long he would be lost.
It was becoming slightly dark and cold, and he shivered. Cater pondered if he should stop moving, he would be able to rest and the others might be able to find him easier…but what dangers are in the forest? Can he rest safely? He wasn't going to take chances, not after what just happened, and decided to climb a tree. Safety and a high vantage point are offered; seeing as he has no better choice at present, Cater went with it.
He located a tree with rough sides that he deemed climbable and, taking the hooked rope from his bag, threw it up. It wound around a thick branch, with the hook piercing the branch from the side. The teen tugged on the rope and, seeing it was secure, took hold of it and began moving up. Gripping and climbing were rather difficult when you had to also carry a backpack, Cater concluded after nearly losing his balance at one point. Once up, he slumped against the tree trunk and let out a long breath. He zipped open his red backpack and pulled out a half-eaten bag of crackers and put one in his mouth, contemplating his next steps as he chewed. He can't travel until morning, but what then? If the 18-year-old knew a rough direction, he could try to find the others…except, he wasn't certain of the direction he had run in due to panic.
As Cater sat there, the darker parts of his mind started to surface.
…Had they noticed he was gone? Would they notice? Do they care enough to search for him? Would they…forget about him, just like all the others before them? Like all the times he moved with his family, being forgotten by everyone as soon as he leaves, despite his efforts to make a mark? Was the past going to repeat? Would he be left to die here, alone and forgotten? Cater felt as if he was filled with a soup of emotions, fear, anxiety, confusion, doubts and so on. He had to do something! He had to find his way back. He had to find the others. He had to survive. He had to…
…
Ah, he had fallen asleep. The sun was up but not yet high in the sky, and the ginger-haired boy sat up, wincing at the soreness in his body. Cater contemplated if he should get down now, seeing as there was no visible danger. He stretched, as much as one can stretch on a tree without falling, before beginning to climb down. He nearly fell again thanks to the soreness. Now, where to?
The ginger glanced around, seeing no immediate danger, and exhaled. Judging by the sun, it was early morning. Cater glanced at his phone, frowning at the "9%" displayed on top, and noted the time displayed as 8:46 am. Should he try to find his way back? He might get lost, but maybe he should, just in case nobody was looking for him… Last he remembered, he had run in the opposite direction from the sun, so he would have come from somewhere in the east direction. Or at least his memory said so. Whether his memory was correct was a different question, one he decided to shove to the back of his brain temporarily. Emerald-green eyes scanned his surroundings before Cater began walking.
If not for the fact he was lost, this was quite a lovely morning. Chirping birds, comfortable temperature, a breeze that causes ginger locks to flutter. The tall, rough trees effectively shielded everything below while also letting in drops of warm sunlight. He could've sworn he saw a small animal, maybe a rabbit or a fox, at one point. He wished he could enjoy this, but the anxiety piling up inside the ginger dictated otherwise.
Cater walked for the entire morning, yet still could not find the campsite. Fatigue and aches all over his body weighed him down, and the ever-growing fears certainly did not help. Dropping onto the ground next to a tree, he ran a hand through his hair, feeling the panic rising to a peak. And then it overflowed. A popped water balloon, a rope broken by the weight it tried to hold.
Before long, there was but a trembling, pale mess there by the tree. Both hands rapidly combing through his hair did little to help, and it was as if he was stuck, drowning in syrup. He felt like he was going to cry. At this moment, Cater Diamond was terrified. Terrified of being lost forever, of dying here, of being left behind, forgotten, never cared for, never loved . He had tried to desperately be remembered but to no avail. The 18-year-old wondered if anyone had even noticed he was gone. Probably not. Tears started flowing down his cheeks, shaking worsening, and a single choked sob escaped the ginger's lips.
Cater's emotions were all over the place. Maybe it's for the best if he died here, then people won't have to be bothered by him. Mother wouldn't have to be troubled by him, Vil wouldn't be annoyed anymore, nor would Malleus. On the other hand, his sisters would miss him, though for the wrong reasons, and he still wanted to be there for Riddle and his MagiCam followers. He'd feel guilty if he just left them like this, after all.
Before his thoughts could spiral further, however, he heard some rustling coming from behind him. The ginger jerked around, initially afraid, but once he saw what, or rather who, it was, his shoulders sank in relief.
"Monsieur Magicam! Oh, thank sevens…are you alright?"
"…Rook, I…you…actually came?"
"Of course. We had been looking for you as soon as we were aware of your disappearance."
"…"
"Why would we not search for you, Monsieur Magicam?"
"…Why did you come for me? I mean, I-I'm nobody important or special, and I'm pretty sure some people hate me-"
"Non, that is simply not true. You are truly merveilleux, Monsieur Magicam, you are unique and beautiful just like everyone else. If anything, the harmonious music you produce is always absolument beauté!"
"Doesn't help if I still won't be remembered…" he mumbled, "I doubt anyone was even worried…"
"That is not so, I, for one, was quite concerned, and so were Roi des Dragons, Monsieur Curiosite, Monsieur Sleepyhead, Chevalier des Roses, and Monsieur Mastermind."
I bet Trey only cares because he needs me to keep Riddle calm , Cater thought to himself, but…Malleus and Lilia do care? The ginger had ceased shaking but the negative feelings hadn't left him. Rook had by now knelt in front of the mess he was, patiently coaxing him to stand and return to camp. He was aware that he was a mess, with his hair tie missing, eyes slightly puffy, and clothes stained, but he couldn't let himself be any more of a burden. The ginger had to fight soreness and his shaking, which fortunately was gradually disappearing, as he stood and followed the hunter. They began to walk, an oddly comfortable silence having settled around them. Cater could never understand how his companion always seemed to know his way around any place, though at least right now he was glad for it.
On their way back, Cater explained what had happened, still feeling guilty that he had been careless. Rook, shaking his head, replied that it was not completely Cater's fault. After all, most people would panic if they were suddenly chased by a boar, those animals being ferocious and surprisingly fast. He added that Cater dealt with the situation well, staying calm and acting in such a levelheaded way. The ginger was unusually quiet the entire time, the hunter noted.
The hunter didn't push his companion on what was wrong, seeing as it clearly wasn't at all simple. He always felt something was off with Cater; Vil had said, too, that Cater always wore a mask, but he never expected…what he did find out. Rook saw clearly the influencer's shining beauty, yet Cater himself didn't seem to believe it. The blond will keep a close eye on him, that's for sure.
It took an hour before they were back at the campground. As if a switch was flicked, a smile, albeit sheepish, appeared on Cater’s face as he spoke to the others. Trey was first to greet Cater, Lilia following close behind.
“Cater! Oh, thank goodness you’re alright!” Trey spoke with relief.
“Yeah, haha, sorry about that, I got lost…but don’t worry, I’m okay!” The addressed teen, suppressing an eye roll, replied.
“Cater, you really worried us! You should be more careful next time.” Lilia sounded like a dad despite being only 5 years older than the rest.
“Ah, Diamond, it is good that you have returned safely. We all had been quite concerned, indeed.”
Genuine surprise took the place of the sheepish smile as the ginger’s eyes landed on Malleus Draconia. The reclusive man never seemed to take a liking to Cater…but his words were genuine. The ginger easily replaced his surprise with another smile as he assured the others that he wouldn’t let that happen again.
Rook stood to the side, keen eyes picking up minuscule movements from Cater. The barely visible twitch of his lips, the dimming of his eyes for a semi-second, the tremble of his hands undetectable to most. The hunter’s eyes travelled to his right, where his beautiful Vil stood with a slightly annoyed expression. Rook could see, however, a slight furrowing of his brows that did not root from annoyance. He knew Vil cared beneath the icy exterior, he always knew, of course. If only Vil would let Cater try. The hunter’s gaze returned to the ginger, determination to convince Vil ever-growing.
A few moments later found everyone scattering to do their own things for a while. Cater returned to his and Rook’s tent, likely to take a nap, as he stretched a bit. The hunter cast one last glance at the ginger before heading off himself, deciding to search for Epel, the young boy being nowhere in sight. Better make sure he didn't get himself into any trouble.