When everything was finally over, Emma was thrilled with how the shoot had turned out. She offered Ethan another collaboration, and that night the group decided to celebrate their small victory, more music, more food, and, of course, more alcohol.
The mood was loud and bright, but Isaac didn't feel well. Keegan noticed immediately.
"What's wrong? You look uncomfortable," he asked quietly.
"I'm just tired. Might go to bed early," Isaac replied, brushing it off.
Keegan nodded, though he didn't buy it completely. Isaac's cheeks had a faint flush, maybe a fever. But the music was loud, laughter filling the room, and soon Keegan let it go.
Across the table, Dante glanced at Claire with that look, the one she knew too well.
"What?" she asked, already half-smiling, half-dreading the answer.
Dante's grin turned mischievous. "I heard weird things happen at the lake around this hour. Paranormal stuff. Why don't we go for a swim and find out?"
"Oh, hell no, you're insane!" Claire waved a hand, horrified.
Dante turned toward Ethan, his usual partner in every stupid idea imaginable. But Ethan's eyes said NO before his mouth could. And before he could speak, a rough, tired voice cut through the noise.
"I don't think that's a smart idea," Isaac said, arms crossed, his tone heavy, almost weary. "It's dangerous. The lake's probably frozen."
Dante shot him a look full of disdain. Then, smirking toward Claire, he muttered:
"That's why camping with nerds is so boring." He turned back to Ethan. "What about you?"
Ethan winced apologetically. "I'll pass. Sounds creepy."
Dante laughed, unbothered. "Fine, princesses. I'll have fun on my own." He grabbed a backpack from under the stairs and walked out into the cold night, humming under his breath like nothing could possibly go wrong.
Isaac watched him leave, dumbfounded.Seriously? They were just going to let him wander out there, alone, at night?
He sighed and went upstairs. His chest ached, a dry cough starting to dig deeper every few minutes.He lay down, trying to rest, but the thought kept circling his mind — what if something happened to Dante?— If he drowned, it wouldn't just be a tragedy… it'd be a scandal. The heir of the Black family dying on a frozen lake? The news would eat that alive.
Eventually, Isaac gave in.He got up, threw on a jacket, and headed downstairs. The group was still laughing, half-drunk and lost in conversation.
"I'm going to look for Dante," he said simply.
Keegan blinked in surprise, then stood up immediately. It wasn't strange for Isaac to worry about people, he always played the responsible one, but it was strange that he'd be the first to volunteer to find Dante, of all people. The same Dante he claimed to barely tolerate.
Minutes later, everyone was outside, flashlights cutting through the dark.The cold was biting, the snow deep, and the forest eerily silent.
"Dante!" Ethan called out into the trees, but only the wind answered.
When they reached the lake, the scene was unsettling.The ice stretched across the surface like a black mirror, cracks webbing under the pale moonlight. On the shore lay Dante's things, and his phone, completely dead.
Claire's voice trembled. "That's his phone… where the hell is he?"
Isaac swept his flashlight over the area. There were marks on the ice, deep, uneven holes, like someone had been digging. Then, suddenly, a sound.
They all turned at once.
Through the darkness, a figure was running across the frozen lake , fast, unbothered, laughing.
"Is that—?"
"Dante!"
He was actually running on the ice, grinning wildly, something clutched in his hands.
"Are you out of your mind?!" Isaac shouted, breaking into a fit of coughing mid-sentence. "Stop! It could break!"
But Dante didn't stop. He reached the shore, breathless but beaming, and lifted a plastic bag toward them like a trophy.
"Look! I found a bunch, and they're huge!" he said proudly, showing off the live crabs wriggling inside.
The group just stared at him, completely stunned.It was as if danger simply didn't register in his brain.
Isaac rubbed his temples. He really doesn't have a warning signal, does he?
No one scolded him. They were too relieved, and too drained, to even try.
Dante crouched to gather his things and asked, genuinely confused, "So… why'd you guys come to the lake?"
Keegan exchanged a look with Claire, then sighed. "You've gotta be kidding me," he muttered, walking off with Maria, who was giggling softly at the whole scene.
Claire, still shaky, reached over and gave Dante a light smack on the head. "Come on, idiot. Let's go back."
Dante grinned, following them happily, clutching his bag of crabs like treasure.
Isaac lagged behind, walking slower, his breathing uneven.Dante slowed down to match his pace.
"Ever had crab before?" he asked casually, as if nothing had happened. It amazed Isaac how easily Dante switched between being infuriating and… oddly normal.
"Yeah. In Nevilton there's a lot of fishing," Isaac said hoarsely, hiding another cough. Dante frowned. "Maybe that cigarette habit's finally catching up to you. Listen to that cough."
"It's just a cold," Isaac replied curtly, his tone so sharp it almost sounded defensive. He quickened his pace, trying to move ahead.
"Hey, don't leave me behind!" Dante called after him, but then Isaac suddenly stopped.
"Oh, great. What now, genius? We're gonna lose the grou—"
The words died in his throat. Isaac bent forward, coughing violently, one hand gripping his chest, the other his stomach.
"Isaac! What the hell—?"
He dropped to his knees in the snow, gasping for air.Each breath felt like ice cutting through his lungs. The world around him blurred.
"Hey— hey, breathe!" Dante grabbed his shoulders, panic rising in his voice.
Isaac tried to speak, but all that came out was a broken wheeze.His vision dimmed; the cold pressed tighter against his chest.
"Somebody call an ambulance!" Dante shouted into the dark. "Now!"
The others, far ahead, caught only one word — ambulance — and ran back as fast as they could.
Dante held him close, his hand against Isaac's back, whispering something he couldn't even hear himself saying.Isaac's coughing turned to dry heaves, his body shaking uncontrollably , and then he went limp, collapsing into Dante's arms.
"Isaac— hey, come on, stay with me!"
Dante's voice trembled, the snow cracking under his knees.The green eyes that Isaac managed to see were now wide open, filled with genuine worry and desperate confusion. They were deep, vivid, and far too expressive to hide what he felt in that moment.
And as Isaac's vision faded into white, those eyes were the last thing he saw.