Morning Mist on Campus

The campus was bathed in a soft, morning mist. Cicadas chirped quietly, and birds flew overhead. A gentle rain fell, its transparency making the air feel as dreamlike as it was fresh.

But Emily had no time to appreciate it.

Fresh off the train, she found no early bus service and had to pay fifteen dollars for a cab to the campus gate. That hurt! Determined to save money, she dragged her heavy luggage toward the dormitory on foot.

The camphor trees swayed gently, their leaves rustling in the light rain.

Emily struggled down the narrow, tree-lined path, her forehead beaded with sweat, while the back of her white dress was soaked with a mix of rain and perspiration. She stopped to catch her breath, scanning her surroundings.

This campus was enormous!

She'd been walking for over half an hour from the gate, yet according to the campus map, she still had a third of the way to go. She regretted not taking the campus shuttle for a mere dollar. Now her arms felt like they would fall off, and her feet were on the verge of blistering.

Dejected, Emily wiped the sweat from her brow and looked around.

Then, something caught her eye—

Under the thick canopy of trees.

Morning light filtered through the leaves, casting a glistening, emerald-like glow over everything. A boy was slumped over a stone table, fast asleep.

His striking blonde hair, broad back, and long, strong legs hinted at someone capable.

Suppressing her excitement, Emily dragged her luggage noisily toward him and called out:

"Hey, you."

He didn't move.

She poked his arm and raised her voice, "Hey, can you help me out here?" She chuckled inwardly, hoping he'd help drag her luggage to the fifth dorm.

The rain fell softly in the forest.

The boy remained motionless, exuding a cool, indifferent aura.

"Hey! I'm talking to you! Didn't you hear me?"

Emily was starting to get frustrated.

Even if he didn't want to help, he could at least acknowledge her. This was just rude.

"Hey! Hey!"

She pushed him harder, nearly kicking him out of frustration. Was he really this cold? Was her voice that scary? It was starting to hurt her pride.

The boy didn't stir.

The only sound in the woods was the distant hum of cicadas.

Suddenly, Emily had a terrible feeling. Why was she suddenly filled with dread? Her eyes remained fixed on the boy, her fingers growing cold. That icy feeling had come from him…

Cold as a—

Corpse!

Emily screamed in terror!

Birds took off from the trees in a flurry!

Her body trembled as a wave of cold swept from her fingertips to her toes. After what seemed like an eternity, she hesitantly reached out to touch him.

With a thud, he collapsed onto the stone table.

His short, blonde hair glistened with sunlight, his nose was high and sharp, and a small diamond stud sparkled on his right nostril. He was undeniably handsome, but his pale face was tinged with a faint purple, and his chiseled lips were an alarming shade of blue.

She held her breath and checked for signs of life…

He was still breathing. Just barely.

Emily shouted at the top of her lungs: "Help! Somebody help! He needs help!"

But the forest was eerily silent.

Rain dripped steadily from the green leaves, softly pattering onto the ground.

Emily stomped her feet in frustration.

Where was everyone in this massive campus? Why was it just birds and cicadas? Ignoring everything else, Emily squatted down and struggled to hoist the boy onto her back, dragging him toward the edge of the woods.

He was heavy!

Panting, her face flushed, Emily used every ounce of strength she had, the boy's long legs dragging behind her.

His breathing grew weaker.

"Hey! Don't die on me!" she shouted in a panic, glancing back at the boy's blue-tinged face. "I'm trying to save you!"

His lips turned an even deeper shade of blue.

"Don't give up! Stay with me!" she cried, gripping his arms tightly as she climbed the stone steps toward the main road. Finally reaching the street, she spotted a taxi and waved frantically.

"To the hospital! The nearest one!" she shouted to the driver, her face drenched in sweat.

The driver floored the gas pedal, and the cab sped away.

Rain streaked across the windows like thin silver threads, turning the outside world into a blur.

Inside the taxi, Emily gently laid the boy's head on her lap, her trembling fingers checking his breath once again.

It was faint… almost non-existent.

His lips were sealed tightly, his skin pale with a disturbing purple hue.

Was it—

A heart attack?

Emily's mind raced. She had read about heart disease before. This seemed like it could be a classic case. If he didn't get medical attention soon, he might not make it.

"Does he have a heart condition?" she asked the driver, her voice shaking.

"How would I know?" The driver ran a red light, speeding even faster. "But he definitely looks like he's in serious trouble."

At that moment—

He stopped breathing.

Emily's eyes widened in horror, staring down at the boy.

Would he die?

There was no time to think. With her left hand, she pressed against his chest, and with her right, she formed a fist, pounding it into her left palm with all the force she could muster.

Thud!

Thud!!

Thud!!!

Desperately recalling the rhythm described in the medical books, she pounded his chest over and over.

"Are you sure you won't kill him like this?" the driver asked, alarmed.

"He's dead if I don't!" Emily, drenched in sweat, yelled back, "I'm doing what I can!"

Thud! Thud! Thud!

"Cough!"

The boy suddenly let out a sharp cough, his body jerking.

"You're awake?" Emily exclaimed, leaning in close, only to be met with his cold, indifferent eyes.

Those eyes…

They were distant, detached, filled with a strange, almost sinister gleam.

For a moment, Emily felt like her heart had been struck by something.

"Who are you? Where am I?" the boy asked, trying to sit up. But he was still weak, his head falling back onto her lap.

"We're on our way to the hospital," Emily replied, suddenly feeling awkward with his head resting so heavily on her legs.

His eyes burned with fury. "D*mn it! Who told you to take me to the hospital? Do you want to get yourself killed?!"

"Pretty sure you're the one trying to die," Emily muttered under her breath, rolling her eyes. How could he be so ungrateful?

"Hospital's here!" the driver announced as he hit the brakes.

Thanks to Emily's emergency call earlier, a team of doctors and nurses were already waiting at the hospital's entrance with a stretcher and medical equipment.

Emily threw open the door. "The patient's here!" she shouted before turning to the boy with a teasing grin.

The boy blinked, confused.

With one swift motion, Emily shoved him out of the taxi.

The boy fell to the ground, glaring up at her with eyes blazing with anger. Emily grinned, seeing his fury as proof that he'd be just fine.

The medical team quickly loaded him onto the stretcher, but he fought back, yelling, "Let me go! You idiots!"

As they wheeled him away, his shouts and curses faded into the distance.

Emily leaned back in her seat, finally relaxing, and wiped her nose with a satisfied smile. She had just saved someone, hadn't she? Maybe she could be an angel after all.

"Miss, do you need a ride anywhere else?" the driver asked, eyeing her curiously.

"Oh, right, let me pay. How much?" Emily reached for her bag. She patted one side, then the other… Wait… Where was her bag?

…

Oh no!

She'd left both her bag and her luggage back in the woods!

Emily made up her mind—

She liked this school!