Michael couldn't remember what had happened after the rocks came tumbling down around and on them, all he could remember was the burning pain and screeching panic as he'd protected his sister from danger. He groaned in pain as the aches from the damage finally set in, and he was relatively surprised to be alive. What luck. There was a warmth wrapped within his arms that he felt relieved to feel, certain that she was safe and somewhat unharmed after the cave-in. He tried to move and lifted himself just a portion against the stone wall behind him, heaving a breath that sounded more like a wheeze. His eyes focused minutely to the dark and he scrunched them together when he saw that whatever had happened had stripped the room of all its glory and reduced it back to nothing. He felt bitter at their haste and even worry at the reaction Evelyn would give once she found out what had happened. He knew there wasn't anything they could have humanly done to prevent such a travesty and the only thing that should be on his mind now should be a way to get out of the cave before they lose too much air.
Evelyn hadn't moved a muscle while Michael was contemplating nor when he shifted, quite clumsily, to rest her against the very same spot he had occupied not moments ago. He scanned the room and noticed a small crack of light peeping in through some rubble, evidence of a possible exit. He stumbled towards it, hands already grasping at corners of rocks desperately trying to shift it away to create room. There was no point in yelling for help, because the more they cried then the more oxygen would be wasted...even if the team was out there. He winced in pain as a particularly sharp piece of stone nicked him on the palm of his hand, superficial by standards but extremely annoying, nonetheless. There was progress, though. The light was becoming larger and larger the longer he pulled and tugged, and then a fresh gust of air rushed in through the gap. That was strange. Wasn't there supposed to be a tunnel before the entrance? His mind tried to catch up with what was happening as slowly but surely, there was enough space to pass through. The image before him stretched onwards, through the tunnel he expected but what confused him the most was the lack of people. Where was there team? Takao? Kurt? All he could see beyond the opening of the tunnel was light too bright and a flash of greenery.
"..Michael...what.." Evelyn was awake and standing, albeit unsteadily. Pushing aside his confusion, he dashed over to his sister and enveloped her in an embrace. The two of them stayed closely linked together for as long as was possible before Michael began to direct them both to their only exit point. He wanted to be out of here, [now], before something else happened to them.
"Save your breath Ev, just put one step in front of the other and we'll talk once we're safe, okay?" His voice was somewhat scratchy and quivered under the pressure of his sister's eyes. She nodded her head without a second thought and they both trudged through rubble and stones towards the blistering light of the sun.
It had felt like forever by the time they reached the mouth of the tunnel and instead of relief, they felt their hearts get swallowed up by a void. The sun was slowly disappearing over the horizon and the birds were chirping prettily away, but there was no sign of their camp nor their friends and team. A fresh onslaught of tears threatened to overwhelm Evelyn as she clutched her brothers arm in a vice-like grip while, on the other hand, Michael was in a state of shock and confusion and hadn't moved a single muscle since they left their death trap. There was a fine line between what is meant to be real and what isn't, both of them knew that right from the very start, but this was a whole new world that they weren't properly equipped for. Michael had never believed in much, even the legends of King Arthur and the Lady of the Lake were for him just stories that helped him go to sleep at night as a kid. He shook his head sharply and dislodged his sister from his arm, a voice in the back of his head from his years on expeditions in the Amazon screaming at him to focus. Once they were settled then they could panic over the situation and figure out why everyone was gone. Surely, they wouldn't have given up already?
"Ev, sis, look at me." He grabbed her face with both of his large hands, eclipsing it as he brought her eyes up to meet his. They were still glistening with unshed tears, and he felt his heart lurch within his chest. He knew exactly what she was thinking, and he needed to stamp it down as soon as possible before she swallowed herself. "This is [not] your fault. What happened, happened and we all played a part. Takao, the team, me and you. So don't even think about blaming yourself." Her eyes fluttered to the ground and avoided contact, doubtful and unsure but she knew deep down he was right, and nothing could change what happened.
"What do we do now then?" Her voice was soft and broken, frayed and splintered all at once from her unravelling. She took an unsteady breath, felt Michael's fingers smooth over her cheeks, and shifted away. His hands instantly let her go, yet they itched so badly to take away what pain that still lingered. He wracked his brain, thinking and formulating. First and foremost, he thought, we should get a fire started for light and warmth…
"Since we'll be losing daylight soon…I guess our first priority is a campfire." He hummed slightly while considering his next train of mind. "Let's grab some branches from over there and stick close." He pointed to a few trees that lined one side of the cave. They stretched rather high in comparison to what Michael was used to seeing in Japan, but there was thrum of something more that lied within their roots. Michael wasn't sure what he was feeling, especially when his fingertips tingled uncomfortably as they gathered their kindling. The wind blew whispers into his ears and the very ground he stood on sometimes felt like it hummed in time with the trees. Whatever it was, he didn't want to think about it. It was most likely due to his nerves creating a havoc with his senses.
They eventually gathered enough wood to create a relatively small fire and, with wide eyes full of curiosity, Evelyn watched her brother proceed to create said fire. She had never bothered to learn anything remotely like her brother, as she was too dependent on technology and fancy gadgets to do the work for her. Watching him put energy into something such as this, she realised how very little she knew about the way things work.