The following day, I arrived at the hotel exactly on time. Joel hurried out of the hotel lobby, his outfit clearly chosen with intention. When he spotted me, he broke into a wide grin. "Rosaline, you're right on time! So, where are we headed today?" I gave a small, helpless smile and replied, "I'm taking you to the most famous forest tunnel around here. It's beautiful. If you'd like, we can even ride the cable car." Joel eagerly agreed, and throughout the trip, he stayed upbeat, talking about various things. I responded politely, neither too enthusiastic nor dismissive. By the time we reached the forest and took the cable car, it was well past 11:00 AM. Joel pulled two sandwiches out of his bag, handing one to me. "Are there any shortcuts around here? I'm looking for a bit of adventure! A side trail sounds way more exciting." I gave him a confused look. "A side trail? Why would you want that? Wouldn't it be better to just ride the cable car back down when we're done?" "No way! I'm all about adventure," he said, a grin spreading across his face as he pounded his chest dramatically. "And besides, it's our one chance to be alone. Don't worry, Rosaline. I'll make sure you're safe if anything goes wrong!" I couldn't help but smile at his enthusiasm. I nodded in agreement. Refusing would only lead to more excuses from him, so I decided to go along with it. After finishing our sandwiches and taking a short break, we ditched the original plan and wandered deeper into the woods, moving further away from the trail. Only then did Joel seem satisfied. I didn't push to turn back and catch the cable car; instead, I played along with Joel's little 'adventure' game. The dry leaves and twigs cracked underfoot with each step as Joel led the way. I stayed close behind him. The path became steeper and rougher. Suddenly, I heard a muffled groan ahead. I looked up in alarm and saw Joel crouched on the ground, his hand pressed against his ankle. "What happened?" I rushed over, my voice filled with concern. "Did you hurt yourself? Is it serious?" Joel looked up at me awkwardly, fumbling for words before answering, "I was just too eager earlier, rushing to get down the mountain, and twisted my ankle. It's nothing major." I went silent, unsure of what to do. This wasn't the intended way down, and even if it was just a sprain, we couldn't continue like this. The sun was setting, and we were already deep in the woods. After a moment of thinking, I extended my hand to him. "Here, try standing. I'll help you back down. It'll be dangerous if we stay here as it gets dark." Joel hesitated, looking up at me. "I'm fine. I can handle it." Seeing he was trying to play it tough, I didn't wait for him to argue further. "Come on. Let's go. If we don't, we'll end up stuck here overnight." Recognizing I wasn't going to back down, Joel stopped resisting. I carefully draped his arm over my shoulder, and together, we started to make our way down the mountain. They say it's easier to climb up than to descend, and this path was particularly steep. Even with my strength, I slipped a few times as we carefully made our way down. It took us two hours to reach the base. When my feet finally touched stable ground, I let out a relieved sigh. I steadied Joel and checked the sign. "We've only got about a mile north to the park entrance. But with night falling, we need to move fast. Can your ankle hold up?" Joel's ankle was swelling badly, but he nodded, putting on a brave face. There was guilt in his eyes when he looked at me. "Rosaline, I'm sorry. If I hadn't insisted on this, you wouldn't be stuck with me ... " "It's okay," I sighed softly. There was no point in getting upset now. We were already in this mess. "Let's just keep moving. If your leg gets too painful, just tell me and we'll stop for a break." Unfortunately, things didn't go as smoothly as we'd hoped. We were already moving slowly, and Joel needed to rest often. As the darkness closed in around us, we found ourselves in the middle of the forest with no clear path out. Joel looked around nervously. "I'm sorry you have to be here with me ... " I shrugged. "No need to apologize. It's not completely dark yet. Let me figure out where we are." I looked around, realizing that we were entirely surrounded by thick woods. There wasn't a soul in sight. It became clear—we are lost. The sky had darkened much faster than I expected. When I looked up, the clouds had turned heavy and black, and distant thunder rumbled in the clouds. My heart skipped a beat. It was obvious now—rain was coming. We had no umbrella, no shelter, and no idea how to get out of this place. "Do you think ... it's going to rain?" Joel asked quietly.