(Julia — First-Person POV)
The moment my plane touched the ground in LA, my entire body went weak with relief. People were already unbuckling, grabbing bags, talking loudly — but I couldn't move.
My hands were trembling so badly that I had to grip the armrest to steady myself.
The first thing I did was press the power button on my dead phone.Nothing.
I plugged it into a power bank with shaking fingers. The screen blinked once. Then again. Finally, it lit up.
124 missed calls.71 messages.22 voicemails.
My breath vanished.
Most were from Kai.Some from Alan.Some from Hawaii.Some from unknown numbers — news, probably.
Then a breaking-news notification popped up on my screen:
"HONOLULU–BOUND COMPANY RETREAT FLIGHT CRASHES. NO SURVIVORS CONFIRMED YET."
My heart dropped into a numb, hollow silence.
The plane I was supposed to take.
The plane Alan and Kai thought I was on.
The world thought I was dead.
I squeezed my phone, vision blurring. My father was dying. My life was on fire. Everything felt like falling apart at once.
But I forced myself to breathe — and move.
I had to get to him.
I had to get home.
I grabbed my bag and pushed through the airport crowd, rushing toward the next terminal like my life depended on it.
CUT TO — Alan (Third-Person)
Alan wasn't calm.Not even close.
His tie was gone. His shirt sleeves rolled up to his elbows. His eyes bloodshot like he hadn't blinked in an hour.
Hawaii stood next to him, trying and failing to keep up with his pace.
"She would have answered by now," Alan snapped, running a hand through his hair. "Something's wrong. Something is wrong, Hawaii."
"Sir… the airlines said the manifest hasn't updated yet—"
"I DON'T CARE ABOUT THEIR SYSTEM!" he exploded, slamming his hand on the desk. "Just tell me if she boarded or not!"
Hawaii flinched but swallowed gently. "We're still waiting on confirmation. I've contacted all hospitals near LAX in case—"
Alan's breath caught.His jaw locked.His entire body went still.
"In case she survived?" he whispered.
"…yes."
Alan closed his eyes for a long, agonizing moment.
Then he whispered, "Just find her."
CUT TO — Kai (Third-Person)
Kai was the opposite of calm too — but quieter, more terrifying.
He stood alone on the resort balcony, hands gripping the railing so hard his knuckles turned bone white.
His phone buzzed every second.He ignored every call.His eyes were fixed on the ocean, dark and storm-like.
"Julia… where did you go?" he whispered.
He replayed every interaction from the last few days.Her tension.Her sudden departure.Her smile — the last one he saw.
A crack sliced through his composure.He punched the railing once, jaw shaking.
"Please be alive," he breathed. "Even if it means you chose Alan. Just… be alive."
BACK TO ME — Julia
Another plane.Another flight.No sleep.No air.Just a burning urgency in my chest.
When I finally landed in my hometown, the airport looked blurry. Or maybe that was my tears.
I rushed through the terminal, ignoring my buzzing phone.I didn't need to read more messages.I didn't need to hear more panic.
I needed to get to my father.
I needed to be there — this time.
Hospital
The sliding doors opened, and the sterile hospital smell hit me like a wave.I nearly ran to the reception counter.
"My father—Mr. Hale—Ward B12," I gasped. "I'm his daughter."
The nurse nodded sympathetically."We've been expecting you. The doctor wants to speak with you first."
My chest tightened painfully.I followed him down the quiet halls, past the beeping monitors, past the nurses' whispers, until we reached a small consulting room.
The doctor entered moments later, adjusting his glasses.
"Julia… your father has been fighting for a long time," he said gently. "But his condition has deteriorated sharply. We don't have much time left."
My knees buckled.I felt myself fall into the chair, hands shaking so violently they clattered against the metal armrests.
"He waited for you," the doctor added softly. "He kept asking if you had arrived."
My throat closed.Tears filled my eyes so fast they spilled instantly.
"I'm here," I whispered. "I'm here now."
At My Father's Bedside
When I pushed open the door to his room, the world stopped.
He looked small.Fragile.A shadow of the man who once carried me on his shoulders.
"Dad…" I whispered, choking on the word.
His eyes opened slowly — tired, but warm."Julia… sweetheart… you made it."
I rushed to him, grabbing his hand with both of mine.
"I'm here. I'm right here."
He smiled faintly, thumb brushing my knuckles.
"I knew you'd come."
A sob tore from my chest.
I'd almost lost him.They'd almost lost me.
My phone buzzed again.
Alan.Kai.The world.
I turned it face down and held my father's hand tighter.
For the first time in days, I stopped running.
And somewhere in Hawaii…
Both Alan and Kai got the same notice at the same time:
AIRLINE UPDATE: Passenger Julia Hale — NOT ON CRASHED FLIGHT. Status: Landed in LA.
Alan froze.Kai exhaled shakily.
But both men whispered the same word, almost in relief and desperation:
"…Julia."