"This is amazing!" Camille and Primrose exclaim in awe as they behold the mystical splendor unveiled before their very eyes.
Standing on the veranda of the second floor, they are given the perfect spot overlooking a panoramic view of the forest, covered in mist from the nearby raging waterfall cascading down a rock face. The silver moon casts its beams over the obscure canopy, illuminating the nocturnal predators and insects singing in the dark.
Camille gasps as she looks down at the deep ravine below the terrace, the jagged terrains adding to the dangerously beautiful picture before them.
"A perfect place to commit suicide!" Ron jokes, causing Camille to recoil in horror at the dark humor.
Primrose, captivated by the beauty around her, takes out her phone to capture the breathtaking scenery.
"Haven't seen the moon in your life?" Leo, always quick with a sarcastic remark, comments on her fascination with the moon, but Primrose remains entranced by its beauty.
"Cam~ why don't you go and get your sketch pad?" Primrose tells her friend.
"You can draw?" Ron asks, looking skeptically at Camille, who remains too shy to talk.
"She's good! Actually, she had an exhibit last year," Primrose proudly replies.
"Primrose!" Camille yells.
"Why? It's true~" Primrose continues.
"Really? Maybe, it's just a cheap exhibit~" Leo mutters.
"Where did you have your exhibit? Why didn't I hear anything about it?" Ron asks.
"Maybe in a ditch!" Leo says. They both laugh.
"You know what~ you may be called lords, but your personality is worse than a lowly servant," Primrose exclaims before grabbing Camille's hand and walking away from them.
"Whoa! Mom said that she's bringing in ladies to stay with us, but why did she include ferocious beasts?"
As Leo and Ron banter back and forth, Primrose becomes engrossed in taking photos of the scenery below.
"What is she doing?" Leo asks.
"She's drawing obviously~" Ron answers. Leo gets confused, so he follows Ron's gaze and understands what he means. Leo cups Ron's face turning it to where Primrose is standing.
"What on earth is SHE doing?" Ron asks as his face furrows.
"That is exactly my point~ hesh! Dumbass!" Leo exclaims.
They watch Primrose struggle to take a photo of whatever it is down below.
"I don't know~ but she might fall!" Ron says before they hastily walk towards her.
"I have a bad feeling about this!" Leo replies.
At that moment, Primrose slips and begins to fall, shocking everyone present. Camille holds her breath for a moment and the world turns black. The moon, flashing in full glory, suddenly disappears. All she can see is her friend falling and all she can hear is the erratic beating of her heart and the faint sound of her breathing. She isn't sure how long she stayed like that, but the warmth of an embrace wakes her from her shock. She opens her eyes to see Ron hugging her. She feels so comfortable in his arms, then reality strikes when she sees Leo tightly wrapping his arms around Primrose's waist. Beads of sweat streak down his handsome face and his chest rises and falls.
"Are you crazy?!" Leo roars after turning Primrose around to face him. Leo's face, scarlet in anger, and hands tightly holding onto the railing on Primrose's sides, corners her with his own body. Primrose just stares blankly. Her face turns pale and her limbs begin to tingle. "If you want to commit suicide, do it somewhere where no one watches. Not here!" he snarls.
Then, Primrose clutches her chest and starts to hyperventilate.
"Primrose!" Camille screams. She immediately gets out of Ron's warm embrace to support her friend.
"Leo~ what is happening?" Ron, who also walks towards them, asks.
"Shit!" Leo curses.
"Primrose! Primrose! What's going on?" Camille screams while shaking Primrose as she collapses on her knees.
"Step aside!" Leo scolds. Then, he kneels to support Primrose, who looks feeble and struggling to breathe as she drums her chest with her fist while her other arm tightly grasps Camille's hand.
"Primrose~ listen to me. Have you ever experienced this before?"
Primrose shakes her head.
"Do you have asthma?"
She shakes her head again.
"Listen to me~," Leo says in a calm voice as he looks at Primrose in her eyes, giving off a signal to trust him.
Camille is surprised at how he changes his tone from a deadly lion to a meek lamb. She nods.
"Good. Alright, I am suspecting a panic attack. So, I want you to calm down and do as I say. Everything's gonna be okay," he says in a warm voice. "Inhale through your nose. Take a deep breath through your nose~"
She tries to take deep breaths, but she fails. She is too scared at this moment since she starts to feel light-headed and her hands and feet begin to cramp due to lack of oxygen. Camille cries in panic as she holds her friend's hand tight, fearing for her friend's condition. Worst-case scenarios flash in her mind.
"Hey~ she's gonna be fine!" Ron assures her as he rubs her back.
"Ron~ get her out of here!" Leo commands. Ron holds Camille's hand and pulls her away from them.
"I have to be next to my friend. What if she loses her consciousness?! What if ~ she.... she..." Camille struggles to say as she cries anxiously.
"Camille~ she's gonna be fine. My cousin is the university's Medicine top student. So, stop worrying too much!" Ron consoles.
"Primrose~ if you don't help yourself, you will have hypoxemia--- your body will lack oxygen that can lead to organ failure~" he explains. "We don't want that~ look at me~ everything's gonna be alright just follow how I breathe~," Leo adds as he demonstrates how to breathe. "C' mon Primrose! Inhale... just look at me~ inhale~ good... now exhale through your mouth~... now inhale..... exhale... good job~ you will be fine...again....inhale~ exhale~ good job~"
"She's stabilizing now. Her breathing is returning to normal, but she may need some time to rest and recover," Leo reassures them, his tone calm and professional.
Camille lets out a sigh of relief, her shoulders relaxing slightly at the news. Ron nods in agreement, grateful for Leo's quick thinking and expertise in handling the situation.
"Thank you, Leo. I don't know what we would have done without you," Camille says, her voice filled with gratitude.
Leo gives her a small smile, his eyes softening for a moment before he returns to his usual composed demeanor. "It's all in a day's work. I'm just glad I was here to help," he replies modestly.
"What happened?" Primrose asks with her voice hoarse from the panic attack, her eyes fluttering open as she slowly regains consciousness and settles on Camille, Ron, and Leo kneeling by her side.
"You had a panic attack, Primrose. But you're going to be okay now. Leo helped you through it," Camille explains, reaching out to squeeze her friend's hand in reassurance.
Primrose nods, a look of gratitude in her eyes as she gazes at Leo. "Thank you, Leo. I don't know what I would have done without you," she says sincerely.
Leo nods in acknowledgment, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "Just doing my job. If you ever need anything, don't hesitate to ask," he offers, his tone warm and genuine. "We need to get you inside. It's cold out here."
"Okay," Primrose mouthed.
Camille and Ron exchange a glance, a silent understanding passing between them. The night stretches on, the moon casting its silvery light through the window, a beacon of hope and comfort in the darkness. As they sit by Primrose's side, the friends reflect on the events of the evening, grateful for each other's presence and support.
In the quiet of Leo's room, a sense of peace settles over them and as they drift off to sleep, a sense of gratitude fills their hearts, knowing that they are never truly alone as long as they have each other.