(Andy Peng's POV)
"MICHELLE!!"
My voice ricocheted off the trees — too loud, too desperate, too raw.
But I didn't care.
I hadn't cared since the moment Kate said, "She's not with me," and the entire group froze like a horror movie scene before the ghost appears.
Michelle didn't wander.
Michelle didn't explore alone.
Michelle didn't just "walk ahead."
Something was wrong.
And the longer she didn't answer—
The louder the alarm in my chest screamed.
Jeff jogged up behind me. "Andy! Andy, wait — we need to split up strategically—"
"No." My voice cracked. "We don't have time."
I pushed deeper into the trees.
Branches whipped my arms, leaves smacked my face, roots threatened to trip me — but I didn't stop.
"My Chelle! Answer me!"
Nothing but the rattling of leaves.
My stomach twisted so tight I thought I'd throw up. Not from running.
From fear.
Real fear.
The kind I hadn't felt since my debut went viral and my entire career rested on a single, fragile moment.
