The elder arrived as his aged eyes widened, riveted by the mesmerizing dance of water.
The once serene surface now trembled, burbling with a forceful energy that caught his attention. Something was amiss.
His gaze shifted, and there, amidst the tumultuous currents, he spotted Primus, fighting against an invisible force.
Fear clenched his heart, knowing that the young one was on the brink of surrendering to the depths.
Without hesitation, the elder lunged towards the water, his body propelled by a potent mix of urgency and determination.
The world blurred as he descended, submerging himself in the liquid abyss.
The cacophony of bubbles and the rush of water drowned his ears, but his focus remained steadfastly on Primus, who thrashed weakly, his struggles growing feeble with every passing moment.
The elder's hand, weathered and scarred, reached out, stretching towards the fleeting presence of Primus.
Their fingertips brushed, a desperate connection forged amidst the swirling currents.
Primus's eyelids fluttered, his consciousness teetering on the precipice.
The elder's voice, tender yet commanding, whispered through the tumult, pleading for Primus to hold on.
"Primus! Stay with me, young one. Do not surrender to the grasp of the lake. Fight, my child!"
Primus's eyes flickered, momentarily locking with the elder's gaze.
A flicker of recognition flashed through his fading consciousness, and a spark of renewed determination ignited within him.
With a last burst of energy, he reached out, his trembling hand clasping the elder's, their fingers intertwining like a lifeline.
The elder's ancient sinews strained against the water's pull, his muscles protesting the weight of his protégé.
Every fiber of his being cried out, but he refused to yield.
With a strength born from a lifetime of wisdom and compassion, he pulled Primus upward, inch by agonizing inch, their ascent a battle against the relentless embrace of the lake.
The melodious symphony of birdsong accompanied the golden rays of the sun, casting a warm glow upon the tranquil lake.
But amidst this idyllic scene, a disturbance echoed through the air, a sound that stirred Sun from his training.
With a surge of concern, he sprinted towards the source, driven by an instinctive need to protect and aid.
Approaching the water's edge, Sun's eyes widened in shock, beholding the elder figure pulling Primus from the depths.
Panic clutched at Sun's heart, tightening his chest as he witnessed the desperate struggle for survival.
With each step he took, the world seemed to slow, his senses honed on the harrowing scene unfolding before him.
Kneeling beside Primus, the elder's hands moved with swift yet gentle urgency, as if coaxing life itself back into the young one's fragile form.
Sun's eyes darted from the elder's wrinkled face to Primus's pallid countenance, a flicker of dread mingling with hope in his chest.
And then, a miracle. The elder's skilled touch prompted Primus to convulse, coughing and wheezing as water erupted from his lips like a torrential downpour.
Each desperate exhalation carried with it the essence of life, a fragile ember of existence refusing to be extinguished.
As Primus's eyelids fluttered open, dazed and disoriented, Sun approached, his voice trembling with relief and unspoken worry.
Sun stood there, his voice faltering, unable to find the words to express the whirlwind of emotions swirling within him.
But before he could utter a single syllable, the elder's voice cut through the air, laced with a potent mix of concern, frustration, and a fear that had gripped him like a vise.
"Where were you, Sun?" The elder's tone carried a weight that bore down on Sun's trembling shoulders, his words a desperate plea, tinged with the remnants of the terror that had gripped him just moments ago.
"I-I..." Sun stammered, his voice barely a whisper, his heart pounding in his chest, matching the rhythm of his racing thoughts.
But the elder's frustration spilled over, his words crashing against Sun like a raging storm.
"If I was a second late, he could have died, Sun! He could have died!" The shout reverberated through the air, shattering the fragile peace that had settled upon the lake.
Sun's gaze met the elder's, and within the depths of those weathered eyes, he saw a mixture of disappointment, concern, and an unfamiliar anger.
It was a gaze that Sun had never encountered before, and the weight of it pressed upon his chest, threatening to suffocate him.
Tears welled up in Sun's eyes, blurring his vision as he turned away, his heart aching with a profound sense of hurt.
The bond between Sun and the elder, who had always been his grandpa, his pillar of support and unwavering love, now felt fractured and fragile, teetering on the edge of irreparable damage.
"Sun..." the elder's voice called out, filled with regret, but the words were carried away by the wind, unable to reach Sun's ears as he fled from the scene, his footsteps echoing his inner turmoil.
The elder's attention shifted to Primus, his voice softer, gentle like a soothing balm.
"Slowly, Primus. Take your time," he murmured, casting a glance towards the direction Sun had disappeared.
The weight of his own emotions settled upon him, a regret that etched deep lines upon his face, a chasm between the love he had for Sun and the fear that had consumed him in that harrowing moment.
In the distance, Sun's retreating figure became a fleeting silhouette against the backdrop of nature's tapestry.
The lake, once serene, seemed to mirror the elder's sorrow, its surface rippling with a bittersweet reflection of the fractured bond that had momentarily severed their connection.
The words reverberated through Sun's mind, echoing like a haunting refrain.
"It might not be long till he tells the truth." Tears welled up in his eyes, a mixture of sorrow, frustration, and a raw anger that burned within him.
With each tear that cascaded down his cheeks, a part of his soul bled, carrying the weight of a secret that threatened to shatter their fragile bond forever.
Running through the forest, his breath ragged and labored, Sun sought solace within the sanctuary his friends had crafted—a refuge amidst the towering branches of the house tree.
As he stepped inside, the air seemed to change, suffused with a sense of calm, whispered secrets shared only among trusted confidants.
Fatigue, both physical and mental, gripped Sun like a relentless vice.
Weariness etched lines upon his face, his features mirroring the weight of the burdens he carried within.
The emotional storm had taken its toll, leaving him drained, the flickering flame of his resolve now a mere ember yearning for respite.
Sun slumped onto a makeshift bed, fashioned from nature's embrace, the softness of moss beneath him offering a semblance of comfort.
His eyelids, heavy with unshed tears, fluttered, longing for the solace of sleep to whisk him away from the turmoil that plagued his mind.
"How... how about I sleep for a while and forget all this that is happening," Sun murmured, his voice filled with a fragile vulnerability.
It was a plea to the darkness, a desperate desire to escape the labyrinth of emotions that threatened to consume him.