She slowly opened her eyes, blinking. Her surroundings were dark. Rubbing her eyes, nothing changed with the pitch-black atmosphere. How did she end up here wherever she was right now?
She remembered that her brother had cramps and while pulling Li Chao upwards, she suffered from cramps too.
Li Nuxie opened her mouth to speak. "Brother? Ying? Huang Wensheng?"
Her voice just bounced back. No one answered her. Where were they? She asked inwardly as she took a step forward to the unknown. Did she die?
Li Nuxie shook her head. Impossible. She haven't even started her business.
She has no plans of dying a virgin too!
The footsteps reached her ears, irritating her. It sounded like someone will leave her anytime.
Li Nuxie continued to walk. Until a faint light was seen, farther in front of her. She walked faster, chasing after that light.
As she went nearer, she saw a silhouette of a man. She gradually slowed down, catching up her breath.
The man's back was facing her. It was familiar, as if she had seen it many times before. However, Li Nuxie knew that it was not her brother's back.
"Excuse me?" Li Nuxie stared at the man's back. Who is this person?
The man turned around to face her. Li Nuxie's mouth opened as she took in the profile of the man.
"Xu Wei," she breathed in the name.
The man didn't speak. His eyes that resembled darkness stared into hers.
"Come back to me, Xiexie," the man finally said before turning his face away from him.
Li Nuxie went still as she watched Xu Wei walked away from her. "Xu Wei! Wait for me!" She started to run but Xu Wei walked like someone who has wings on his sandals. Like the messenger of Zeus.
"Xu Wei!" She called out while running. Her breathing became labored.
And then, her fear happened.
Xu Wei disappeared from her sight.
Her eyes went wide. "Xu Wei! Don't leave me! Come back to me! You can't leave!"
Li Nuxie's tears streamed down on her face. She continued running. To where, she didn't know. She just wanted to go with Xu Wei.
-0-
"Xiexie, you can't leave us!" Li Chanying's hands continued pressing against Li Nuxie's chest.
Huang Wensheng was crying silently near Li Nuxie's body while Li Chao was slumped at the corner, his eyes were looking at the ceiling of the cave.
Li Chanying has been reviving Li Nuxie for the last five minutes and she has been unresponsive so far. His sister was still young. She haven't experienced having a boyfriend and yet --
Li Chao shook his head. No, he cannot allow his sister to die. However, they cannot even call for help as no signal can be detected in the area plus the fact that they do not have phones. Also, the cave was facing the open sea and they needed to trek for at least thirty minutes to reach the main road.
"Xiexie, please. Wake up now. You are not allowed to leave us," Li Chanying mumbled as her hands continued to push against her cousin's chest.
Huang Wensheng was just staring at Li Nuxie's face. For him, Li Nuxie symbolized hope. She was the hope that save him from the misery. He vowed to protect her but looked what happened. He was just staring at his elder sister's face, with tears streaming down on her paled face.
Tears? His elder sister was crying? His eyes went wide to the realization.
"E-Elder sister Chanying, elder sister Xiexie is c-crying," he informed her.
Li Chanying's hands stopped from pumping Li Nuxie's chest. She turned her head towards Huang Wensheng harshly.
"What did you say?" her voice trembled, hope sprang in her heart.
Huang Wensheng pointed at the tears on Li Nuxie's cheeks.
Li Chao's shoulders went still when he realized what Huang Wensheng has said. He crawled towards his sister. "Little sis, please wake up," he said, patting Li Nuxie's hair.
"Xiexie, you need to wake up now. Please?" Li Chanying grasped her cousin's hand.
"Elder sister Xiexie, wake up now," Huang Wensheng whispered as he lowered his head.
But there was no response. They were beginning to lose hope. When suddenly, a cough escaped from Li Nuxie's mouth as water poured out. Out of reflex, Li Chanying pulled Li Nuxie to sit up straight while she continued to cough.
Li Chao rubbed his sister's back. The happiness was evident in his eyes. He really did not know what to do if his sister left them.
Huang Wensheng grasped her hand. She was just happy that his elder sister Xiexie came back to them.
"What happened?" Li Nuxie asked, her voice was croaked. From her peripheral vision, she realized that they were still inside the cave.
Li Chanying glanced at Li Chao before answering. "Your oxygen tank reached the critical level then you had a panic attack. Are you alright, now?"
She nodded. "Yes, I think I am fine." Li Nuxie drew her brows together. "My oxygen tank reached the critical level?" she asked. Li Nuxie didn't know that. She had a panic attack because she had cramps. But she didn't know about her tank.
She shook her head. Goodness, what would happen if she was aware of what was happening that time? She might have died already.
"I had a nightmare," Li Nuxie opened up, remembering how Xu Wei left her in that dream. It was not a dream. It was a hellish nightmare.
Li Chao wrinkled his eyebrows. "Nightmare? You don't have to talk about it. Just forget it."
Li Nuxie nodded before turning towards her head to Li Chanying. "Do you have a phone?"
"Xiexie, you forgot? They confiscated our phones before we jump off," Li Chanying bit her lower lip. "Did you bump your head?"
Li Nuxie pressed her lips. "I'm fine. I was just lost a while ago. Help me stand up," she said.
Li Chanying bent her knees as her hand supported her cousin's elbow. Huang Wensheng supported the other hand of Li Nuxie while Li Chao just looked on. His right leg has not recovered yet although he can feel it now.
"Ouch," Li Nuxie winced as her right leg was straightened.
"What happened? I thought you're alright?" Li Chanying fussed over her.
Li Nuxie bit her cheek from the inside. Her cousin was over-reacting. "I had cramps a while ago so obviously, unless I am Wonder Woman, I can still feel pain," she said, rolling her eyes.
"Wensheng, please support my brother. He also had cramps so it might not be convenient for him to walk."
Huang Wensheng nodded. "Okay then, elder sister," he said before going back to Li Chao.
"We need to double time. In just a few hours, it will be high tide. This cave will be submerged under water," Li Nuxie instructed them.
Without saying anything, the team walked towards the opening of the cave.