"Summer, Summer, wake up!" The loud thumping on the door was followed by a series of screams calling Summer's name.
She groaned in her sleep, burying her face deeper into the pillows, refusing to get up as sleep felt too relaxing and tempting.
But her decision quickly turned into regret as the thumping and screams grew louder. With an angry face, Summer got up, her hair disheveled and her face swollen from sleep.
She stomped to the door.
"Can't I get one night of uninterrupted sleep?" she muttered, opening the door to find her friends and brother already dressed.
Squinting at them, she grumbled. Warrin and Liam quickly took out their phones and snapped a picture, prompting her to slam the door in their faces.
"Go to hell!" she screamed, running back to her bed to sleep.
"Get up, we're going to see North Castle!" Warrin shouted. Summer's eyes shot open, but her expression remained blank.
"You guys go ahead. I can't go today," Summer replied.
"That's not fair. We were supposed to see North Castle together," Warrin said. There was a brief pause before Warrin continued, "Okay, I'll wait for you. The others can go ahead. We promised we'd go together."
"Warrin, don't be stubborn. Just go with them. I'll join you later," Summer insisted. "I'm... I'm not feeling well. I think I caught a cold."
"What?" Warrin exclaimed, barging into Summer's room since she hadn't locked the door. He and the others walked in, concerned.
Summer lay on the bed with an annoyed expression.
"What's wrong? Are you cold? Do you need something?" Warrin asked, sitting on the edge of the bed and taking Summer's hand.
Jake followed and checked for a fever.
"I'm okay, just a bit under the weather," Summer insisted.
Everyone exchanged worried glances. Jake quickly checked her temperature and confirmed, "Summer, your head's burning with fever. I'll see if we can get a doctor. I'll call Yohan."
With that, Jake left to make the call.
Huffing, Warrin said, "Okay, since Jake has to go to the college for documents and stuff, and we can't leave her alone, I'll stay here with her. You guys can go."
"No, Warrin. You've wanted to visit North Castle for so long. Please go. I'll be fine," Summer pleaded.
"But we promised."
"I promise I'll join you at the college. Please go. I don't want to ruin this day for you," Summer said, taking Warrin's hands in hers.
"Warrin, you should go with Jake and Liam. Jake needs to get some things, and I'll stay here with Summer. I've already visited North Castle countless times," Caleb suggested.
The original plan was to visit North Castle and then go to Jake's college.
She could almost feel Warrin's sadness, and it made her feel guilty. Sitting up in bed, she began to think.
She was grateful for Caleb, who managed the situation perfectly.
She didn't want to ruin Warrin's excitement about visiting the North Castle, even though she couldn't go with them.
"I'm sorry, Warrin, but I can't go there," Summer whispered. "As soon as I have Yohan's soup, I'll join you guys with Caleb."
She heard them moving away from her room and groaned heavily before lying down again.
Caleb was still sitting on her bed, and a few moments later, Daisy came in to check on her, followed by her brother, who brought the magical soup that heals everything.
Jake waited until Summer finished the soup and only left when she reassured him for the nth time. Caleb stayed, and Summer felt sorry that he had to stay with her.
"I'm sorry," Summer said, catching Caleb's attention. "I'm sorry you had to stay back while everyone else went to visit."
"I don't mind, really. I've visited North Castle too many times," Caleb smiled. "Anyways, now that everyone's left, we can pick up where we left off that day, if you want to talk about it."
A blush crept onto Summer's cheeks as she remembered almost kissing Caleb at her house.
The memory made her stutter, and she scratched her neck nervously.
"It's okay if you don't want to talk about it. We can forget about it."
"No," Summer blurted out. "I mean, let's talk about it," she added shyly.
"Cute," Caleb whispered. "Well, I'll get straight to the point. We don't know much about each other, but you intrigue me, and I like you. I'd really love to get to know you better and see where this goes." He spoke so casually yet genuinely that Summer almost gasped, feeling breathless.
"So, if you say yes, we can…" Caleb hesitated, testing the waters, unsure if he might get slapped or kissed.
"I like you too, and I'd love to see where this goes," Summer said, mustering all her courage. "So yes, Caleb, let's start something new." She declared with a smile, her blush deepening to a heavy shade of red.
"You should rest now. I don't want my girlfriend to stay sick for a long time while we're on holiday," Caleb said casually, leaning toward Summer.
She felt nervous and gulped hard as she looked at him. Summer closed her eyes, earning a smile from Caleb.
He leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead, whispering,
"I never thought you were the cute type, but I like it."
Summer opened her eyes as Caleb stood up. "I'll be back. I need to make a call. Take a nap, and when you wake up, you'll find me right here, okay?" He pointed to the chair beside the bed and nodded.
Caleb left the room, closing the door softly behind him. Summer let out the breath she had been holding, plopped onto the bed, and hid her face in the pillows, trying to calm her nerves.
"Am I in a relationship now?" she whispered to herself.
Summer didn't know when her mind started to feel blurry, but she fell asleep with a smile on her face, hugging a pillow.
She only woke up when she felt like she had slept for a long time, her surroundings feeling hotter.
She kicked the blanket off to her feet and heard someone chuckling, making her open her eyes quickly.
It was Caleb, just like he said he would be, sitting on the chair beside the bed, scrolling through his phone.
"I guess you're feeling better now," he remarked, putting his phone in his pocket.
Summer sat up and smiled, thinking to herself, 'This is the first conversation I'm having as Caleb's girlfriend,' and blushed, her pink cheeks giving her away.
"Yeah, I'm better." Summer stretched a bit. "What time is it?" she asked.
"It's almost afternoon," Caleb said, and Summer's eyes went wide as she started to get up.
"Why didn't you wake me earlier? They must've already reached the college! I said we'd join them," she started rambling.
"Relax, you were sick. You needed to rest. By the way, I talked to them. Liam and Warren haven't left the North Castle yet, and Jake had to get to his college early," Caleb reassured her.
"We still have time. I'll just get ready now," Summer said, feeling a bit dizzy. Caleb noticed and asked, "Are you sure you're okay?"
"Yeah, just a bit dizzy. I'll be fine, and you'll be there too, so..." she replied, heading into the washroom to freshen up. Caleb left the room to give her some privacy.
Caleb was waiting outside Summer's room.
After a moment, Summer came out dressed warmly in insulating tights, a full-sleeved top, a trench coat, a sweater, a muffler around her neck, and a cap on her head.
Caleb extended his hand, and she shyly took it, interlocking their fingers as they went downstairs where Yohan was waiting for them.
"Oh, is there something to celebrate?" Yohan teased. "Well, I've called a car for you both. Jason here will take you to the college," he continued, leading Summer and Caleb outside the hotel where a car was waiting.
"Thank you so much, Yohan," Summer said.
"The pleasure is all mine, your majesty," Yohan replied with a small bow.
Jason carefully navigated the car through the snowy weather, the tires crunching on the icy road as he drove Summer and Caleb to North College.
The backseat was filled with the soft murmur of their conversation, fingers intertwined as they shared their likes and dislikes.
Despite the swirling snow outside, the car was warm and cozy, creating an intimate atmosphere for their conversation.
Summer's laughter occasionally rang out, blending with the steady hum of the car's engine.
Fifteen minutes later, they arrived at the college. North College was grand and imposing, its vast, elegant buildings covered in a pristine layer of snow.
It looked as magnificent as the renowned West College of Music and Arts, with its majestic architecture and beautifully landscaped grounds.
Summer gazed in awe at the college, her eyes wide with wonder. The sight of the North Castle in the distance, with its flag billowing in the wind, caught her attention.
Her expression shifted, a shadow passing over her face as she quickly averted her gaze, focusing instead on Caleb's warm smile and comforting presence beside her.
They stepped out of the car, the cold air biting at their faces, and made their way towards the entrance.
As they stood there, taking in the grandeur of the place, Jake approached, a satisfied smile on his face.
He had just finished handling some important document work and was eager to join them.
"All set?" Summer asked, her breath visible in the cold air.
"Yeah, I'm good to go," Jake replied. "Are you feeling better now?" he asked, and Summer nodded in response.
Jake's eyes shifted to Summer and Caleb's intertwined hands. He shook his head, trying to confirm what he saw. "Are you guys holding hands, or am I high?" Jake joked.
"Shut up, silly," Summer said. "We are... together now." She glanced at Caleb, who gave her a warm smile.
"Oh, so that's why you're feeling good and why it took you so long to get here?" Jake made a disgusted face, prompting Summer to slap him on the arm.
"Hey, we're on campus. Behave," Jake continued, trying to irritate her. It was amusing to watch her fume, knowing she couldn't start a fight here.
"By the way, have Liam and Warren arrived yet?" Summer asked. Jake shook his head and murmured, "They should be here by now. It's late."
Summer instinctively looked toward the north castle, her brows furrowing. "Okay, let's wait a little longer. If they don't arrive in the next 10 minutes, we'll go look for them. I can't even reach them," she said, glancing at her phone.
"It's snowing. The networks get jammed in snowy weather, and it'll turn dark soon," Jason said from behind them. "Yeah, winters in the north are really severe.
They should come back soon," he added, raising the concerns of Summer, Jake, and Caleb.
The snowfall increased, and it almost started to look dark outside. Summer had decided to go look for Liam and Warrin, but the car refused to start, and the heavy snowfall raised more problems.
They couldn't even go to the North Castle to look for them, and the phones weren't working.
It was almost dark, and Summer felt anxious and scared. She regretted convincing Warrin and Liam to go without her; she wished she had stopped all of them.
"We should head back to the hotel," Jason said.
"No, I'm not leaving them," Summer almost screamed. Caleb tried his best to keep her calm. Jake tried to reach them every minute, but it was impossible.
"What if they come back when we leave?"
"Ma'am, it's late. I think they'd consider going back to the hotel at this time, and we can't do anything right now. We can go tomorrow to look for them," Jason said reasonably.
"There are snow-cutting vehicles we can rent. We should go back, or we'll freeze in this snowfall." As much as Summer hated the idea, she knew Jason was right.
"Summer, let's head back to the hotel. Maybe they're there and just couldn't inform us because of the network," Caleb said.
Summer hesitantly agreed, and they rented a snow-cutting vehicle and made their way towards the hotel.
The drive was slow and nerve-wracking. The heavy snowfall blanketed the roads, turning a typically straightforward journey into a 2-hour-and-5-minute ordeal.
Summer, Caleb, Jason, and Jake finally pulled into the hotel parking lot, the snow crunching under the tires.
Summer's thoughts were consumed with worry for Warrin and Liam. She hoped they were already safe inside.
As they entered the hotel lobby, Summer's heart sank further. Instead of seeing Warrin and Liam, Yohan and Daisy were there, anxiously waiting.
"What took you all so long?" Yohan demanded. "And where are Liam and Warrin?"
Summer's anxiety spiked. "They're not here?" she asked, her voice trembling.
"No," Daisy confirmed, her expression mirroring Summer's fear.
Jake stepped forward, his face pale. "They never made it to the college campus. We couldn't reach them. We thought they might have come straight here."
The tension in the room thickened. Summer's face was etched with worry, but she made a sudden decision. "I'm going to look for them," she declared.
"Your Majesty, you can't," Yohan protested, his voice filled with concern. "It's too dangerous out there."
"I have to," Summer insisted, her determination unwavering. "I can't sit here knowing two of my closest friends are out there in this heavy snowfall."
Caleb, Yohan, and Jake tried to dissuade her, but Summer was resolute. She pushed through the doors, the cold wind and snow biting at her face.
As she reached the halfway point just outside the main entrance, she saw two figures approaching through the storm.
Everyone followed her outside. Warrin and Liam trudged through the snow; their faces illuminated by the hotel lights.
Liam looked scared, his eyes wide and darting around, while Warrin's face was stoic, almost emotionless, a stark contrast to the vulnerability he had shown three days ago.
As they reached the entrance, Summer rushed to them, her voice cracking with emotion. "Are you both okay? I was so scared! Where did you go?"
Jake, Caleb, and the others sighed in relief as Warrin and Liam made it safely back.
In a swift movement, Warrin pulled Summer into a tight hug, his body trembling slightly. He closed his eyes, as if grounding himself in the reality of being back.
For a moment, no one spoke. The silence was heavy with unspoken emotions.
Finally, Warrin broke the hug and looked into Summer's eyes, cupping her face gently.
"I'm okay now," he said, a small smile breaking his stoic demeanor. "Nothing will go wrong now. Let's go inside."
As they moved back into the warmth of the hotel, Caleb and Yohan exchanged glances, both noticing the subtle but profound change in Warrin.
There was a depth to his gaze that hinted at an experience neither of them could comprehend.