Sitting beside Caden, I forced myself to stay calm and spent a few minutes thinking through my options. Although we were deep in the forest, this was still the outskirts of Rivemon—there shouldn't be any dangerous predators. On top of that, I had plenty of wilderness survival knowledge, so finding my way out wouldn't be too difficult. But with Caden unconscious, leaving him behind was out of the question. If I wanted to get out of here, I needed to build a raft. I could use it to pull Caden along, and fortunately, the ground here was damp enough to slide smoothly. Plus, there were plenty of vines available to secure it together. Without wasting any time, I got to work, gathering as many fallen branches as I could find. They were roughly the thickness of an adult's arm and long enough to be bound together with vines—sturdy enough to hold Caden's weight. As I secured the pieces, I noticed just how strong the vines were. No wonder they had managed to slow our fall and keep us from crashing to our deaths. That realization put me at ease. But what unsettled me was the thought that if the vines had cushioned both Caden and me, then Candice—that lunatic—had likely survived as well. As long as she was still alive, I wouldn't let her walk away unpunished once I made it out of here! Shaking off my thoughts, I refocused on assembling the raft. While the branches were all thick enough, their lengths varied, so I had to trim them down to size. The only tool at my disposal was a stone, but it was frustratingly dull. Most of my time was spent sharpening it just enough to be useful, and in the process, my fingers ended up scraped and bruised from rubbing against the rough edges of the stone and jagged wood. As an Alpha, I wasn't concerned about minor injuries—but that didn't make the pain any less real. Gritting my teeth, I forced myself to push through. If Caden could risk his life for me, then why shouldn't I do the same for him? After nearly an hour of relentless effort, my fingers were raw, scraped, and bleeding, but at last, the raft was complete. Summoning the strength of my Alpha, I carefully lifted Caden onto it, then secured him tightly with sturdy vines to ensure he wouldn't slip off.This way, I could pull the raft without worrying about Caden falling off. With everything set, I searched for a spot where the sky was visible through the dense canopy. Estimating the time, I figured there were about three to four hours left before nightfall. The sky was clear enough for me to catch a glimpse of the setting sun, giving me a rough sense of direction. If luck was on my side, I might just manage to get Caden out of this forest before nightfall. But if it wasn't ... I forced the thought aside and secured one end of a vine around my waist, then started moving in the direction I had chosen. However, I had miscalculated—between the raft and Caden, the weight easily exceeded 220 pounds. Even with my Alpha strength, dragging it proved more challenging than I had expected. "Alpha, let me help," Freya implored. "No, I've got this," I gritted my teeth, refusing her assistance. It wasn't about proving anything—I simply wanted to use my strength to do this for Caden. Freya let out a quiet sigh but didn't press the matter further I pressed on, step by step. At some point, without me noticing, the last traces of daylight had faded, and the forest ahead had plunged into complete darkness. I came to a halt, my arms and shoulders throbbing with pain, so numb and heavy they hardly felt like my own. Gazing around at the dense, pitch-black forest, a chilling thought crept into my mind—were we doomed to die here? No. I refused to accept that. I would not let Caden die. The ache in my muscles, the scrapes and bruises covering my arms—none of it mattered. I clenched my jaw and pushed forward. The biggest problem was the lack of water—it left my throat dry and my body aching with exhaustion. I had been hauling Caden through the forest for nearly three hours, every step draining what little strength I had left.But I couldn't afford to collapse. I had to keep going. I had to persevere. Clang! My foot caught on a rock, and before I could steady myself, I tumbled to the ground. Lying there, I turned my head toward the raft. Caden remained unconscious, his face ghostly pale, his body still. A wave of despair unlike anything I'd ever known seeped into every fiber of my being. I ran my tongue over my parched, cracked lips and forced myself to move, struggling to rise. No—I had to keep going. Forcing myself upright, I gritted my teeth and pulled the raft forward once more. Every step felt like wading through thick mud—slow, agonizing, exhausting. I was so, so tired ... My vision blurred, my strength slipping away, and in that moment, I let go, surrendering to Freya's control. The silver wolf took over, shifting effortlessly before clamping her jaws around the rope tethering Caden. As she moved forward, I sank into the depths of my soul, swallowed by darkness I could no longer fight. Just before I lost consciousness, through Freya's ears, I thought I heard voices calling my name—calling Caden's name. Was I dreaming? Could someone really be coming to rescue us now? The questions faded as the exhaustion pulled me under, dragging me into a deep, dreamless sleep... unaware of what would happen next. Hospital. Beep, beep, beep. The steady rhythm of a heart monitor reached my ears, pulling me from the depths of unconsciousness. Slowly, I opened my eyes, and the first thing I saw was Yura's worried face hovering over me. "Rosaline! You're finally awake—I was so scared!" "I didn't die?" My voice came out hoarse, tinged with confusion. "What are you talking about? Don't say such unlucky things!" Yura gasped, quickly covering my mouth. "Where's Caden?" I asked, scanning the room. "He's awake," Yura replied, though something flickered in her eyes before she continued. "Do you have any idea how terrified I was when I saw you and Caden fall off that cliff? My heart nearly stopped!" As I met Yura's gaze, fragments of memory flooded back. The struggle of dragging Caden through the dense forest, the unbearable exhaustion, the pain gnawing at my body ... We had been rescued at last.