The forest was darker than Rumi expected.
He had left just before dawn, slipping out of camp with his spear, Mia's pouch slung over his shoulder, and his heart pounding like a war drum. The others were still asleep—he hoped. He didn't want a send-off; he wanted a triumph.
But now, a few hours in, the triumph felt far away.
The trees here were older, taller, and twisted. They didn't sway like the trees near camp. These stood still, like they were listening.
Rumi paused by a tree, breathing heavily. "Okay," he muttered. "You've got this. Just find a track, follow it, trap something impressive, and head home like a hero. Easy."
He crouched low, pretending to inspect something on the ground. "Hmm. Yes. Obvious sign of deer. Or... possibly moss."
A squirrel chattered overhead and dropped a nut that bounced off his shoulder.
"I will eat you," he whispered to it, pointing his spear.
The forest didn't laugh.
He kept walking.
The deeper he went, the stranger it became. The air was damp, almost heavy, like it carried secrets. Rumi didn't mind being alone—but out here, it felt like something was watching. He tried to ignore it, focusing instead on the rhythm of his steps, the way Mia had told him to walk quietly and listen for cracks, shifts, and motion.
He remembered her words. He remembered her voice. And he remembered the way she looked at him last night—serious, but not unkind. That small moment had meant everything to him.
Which made what happened next feel like being stabbed with his own spear.
He spotted movement ahead—human movement. Someone was walking through the trees just past the hill. Carefully, Rumi crept closer, his heart racing. Maybe it was Sarah or Leina, trying to find him. Maybe it was Mia.
He crouched behind a thicket, parted the leaves, and froze.
It was Mia.
She stood in a small clearing, bathed in morning light, her bow slung over her shoulder. And she wasn't alone.
David was with her.
David? Rumi's mind reeled. He hadn't seen David at the fire last night. Had he arrived late? Come from another camp? Why was he here?
They spoke in low voices—too quiet for Rumi to hear. Mia was smiling, the kind of smile Rumi hadn't seen before. Not at him.
Then, without warning, David leaned in and kissed her.
It wasn't long. It wasn't loud.
But it shattered something inside Rumi like a dropped plate.
He ducked back, heart hammering in his chest, every sound suddenly amplified. The birdsong above grated against his ears. The rustle of leaves felt like mockery. His hands trembled on the shaft of his spear.
He wasn't sure how long he stayed there, crouched and humiliated, but when he finally stood, he turned and walked deeper into the woods.
Away from camp.
Away from them.
The path under his feet stopped looking like a path.
He didn't care.
His chest burned with something hotter than fire. Not just jealousy. Not just heartbreak.
It was the realization that he had been trying so hard to impress someone who already belonged to someone else.
Rumi gritted his teeth. He would prove himself anyway. Not for Mia. Not even for the others.
For himself.
But the forest had been waiting.
And it heard his vow.