"Are you sure this is the spot?" asked a young man behind the wheel.

  "Yes, exactly," a girl replied from the passenger seat.

  "Hopefully, he's there," the young man said, his voice laced with hope.

  "Yeah, hopefully," a second girl chimed in from the back seat, her tone sharp and cynical.

  The door of the pickup truck swung open with a rough, hurried thud. Three teenagers climbed out of the cabin. There was Kato, Arata's classmate and the son of a prominent businessman with deep connections in various sectors, including the government. Beside him was Hana, Kato's girlfriend, who hailed from a wealthy family; her father was a doctor and her mother a fashion mogul. Then there was Yumi, Hana's classmate, who lived in a small rented room and worked part-time at a minimarket. Her family background was a mystery, though it was known she had been raised in a government-run foster home.

  "Arata!"

  "Arata!"

  Kato and Hana shouted toward the edge of the protected forest. Nearby campers looked on, confused by their frantic behavior. They scoured the entire camping area, but there was no sign of Arata anywhere.

  "How did that kid even travel?" Yumi asked suddenly.

  "He must have taken his motorcycle," Kato answered.

  "Right, he always rides his bike when he's traveling alone," Hana added.

  "Motorcycle?" Yumi looked intrigued.

  "Yeah, he's into bikes just like you. But his isn't quite like yours; his is... hm... a bit bigger, I think," Hana said, gesturing the size with her hands.

  "Hey, that's different. I ride because I have to. Arata? That guy just rides for fun," Yumi replied with a sour face.

  Kato quickly pulled out his phone. "Father, can you help me track a friend's location?"

  "Is someone missing? Who?" a man's voice replied on the other end, sounding slightly panicked.

  "Arata, Father. He hasn't been seen for two days. His mechanic friends said he went camping, but they didn't know where. We've reached the campsite closest to the city, but he's not here. Neither is his bike," Kato said worriedly.

  "Alright, hold on. I'll look into it. Be careful, stay where you are, and wait for my word!" the man replied firmly and with authority.

  "Understood, Father," Kato said. He turned to the girls. "We wait here until my father gets a lead on Arata's cell signal."

  "Your dad has a lot of connections, doesn't he?" Yumi asked out of the blue.

  "Oh... not really. He's just asking for a favor from friends who work in that department," Kato replied.

  Amidst Kato's panic, the two girls began to whisper:

  Yumi: "Does Kato's father know Arata?"

  Hana: "Of course. They've been friends since they were kids. Arata was raised in a government orphanage. Kato often invited Arata over to play because Kato doesn't have any siblings. Kato's father even offered Arata a place to stay with them, but the boy refused. He's stubborn like that."

  Yumi: "Arata grew up in an orphanage?"

  Hana: "Yeah, he left the home when he started high school and began working part-time."

  Yumi: "Oh, I see..."

  Beeeep! The sound of an incoming text on Kato's phone cut their gossip short. Kato flipped it open instantly.

  "Let's move!" Kato urged, stepping quickly toward the truck. The two girls startled, exchanged a glance, and without a word, ran to catch up.

  The silence of the plains was suddenly shattered by the ear-splitting screech of tires grinding against the cold black asphalt. The truck came to a dead stop right behind Arata's motorcycle, which sat parked silently at the edge of the road.

  "That's his bike!" Hana screamed hysterically.

  The doors flew open again in a rush. Hana and Kato leapt out, shouting Arata's name. Their voices were swallowed by the low roar of the valley wind. They moved frantically, but their steps were hampered by the thick weeds that grew chest-high along the roadside. Their vision was limited; the meadow seemed to have swallowed Arata whole.

  Yumi approached Arata's bike, inspecting it closely. She noticed dew still clinging to the metal—a sign that the vehicle had been parked there for a long time.

  Suddenly, Yumi moved. Without a word, she scrambled onto the back of the truck with remarkable agility. Not stopping there, with a nimble kick, she leaped onto the roof of the truck's cabin. The thud of her landing made Kato and Hana jump and look back. They were stunned by Yumi's speed and athleticism, which seemed unnatural for a girl her age.

  This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

  From her higher vantage point, Yumi narrowed her eyes, scanning the vast green expanse. The wind whipped her hair as she spotted something invisible from the ground.

  "I see someone in the middle of the field!" Yumi shouted, pointing to a specific spot.

  "Where?" Kato yelled from below, trying to follow her finger.

  "Right in front of you! Behind that mound of tall grass!" Yumi answered firmly.

  Kato and Hana immediately charged into the thicket, their hands frantically parting the sharp blades of grass. Their breath came in ragged gasps, racing against time.

  Behind the thickest clump of weeds, they finally found what they were looking for. Arata lay there motionless, surrounded by a pattern of flattened grass in a perfect circle—the remnants of the white energy shield from before.

  "Found him!" Hana cried, her voice a mix of relief and tears.

  Kato dropped to his knees beside Arata, checking the pulse at the boy's neck. He let out a long breath when he felt a strong heartbeat. However, his eyes were immediately drawn to Arata's clenched fist, which was gripping something tightly.

  Yumi jumped down from the cabin roof with a light landing and ran toward the group in the meadow. As she arrived, Arata's eyes began to flutter open.

  Arata squinted, shielding his eyes from the piercing sunlight. He sat up slowly, clutching his throbbing head. His gaze drifted from Kato to Hana, then stopped on Yumi—the stranger he had never seen before.

  "Kato...? Hana...?" Arata's voice was raspy. He looked around, trying to piece together what had happened. He felt the object in his hand, glanced at it, and was instantly flooded with relief that it was still with him. "Why are you guys here?"

  Kato stood up, wiping sweat from his forehead, and looked at Arata with an expression caught between relief and suppressed irritation. With his hands on his hips, he stared down at the dazed boy.

  "I should be the one asking that, Arata," Kato's voice was low but sharp. "Why are you here? Didn't you tell me you were going camping? How did you end up here?"

  Kato scanned the silent, overgrown field and turned back to Arata with a furrowed brow.

  "As far as I know, this isn't the location you told me about yesterday. You're way off the mark," Kato continued. He paused for a moment. "We've been looking for you like crazy for two days because we couldn't reach you. What are you doing in a remote place like this?"

  "Two days?" Arata whispered in disbelief.

  Silence fell over them for a few moments as the three of them waited for Arata's answer.

  "I think I got the location wrong," Arata muttered, trying to keep his face convincing. "I came here to check out the spot, but I think my GPS coordinates got messed up. The pin ended here."

  He lifted his hand slightly, revealing the pendant.

  "I accidentally dropped this necklace when I went into the woods. I didn't want to go home without it, so I spent hours searching," Arata paused, licking his dry lips. "I finally found it, but I guess I was just exhausted. I didn't realize I'd fainted from dehydration. I had no idea two days had passed."

  The lie rolled off his tongue effortlessly. He couldn't possibly tell them about inter-dimensional battles or the shadow figure that had protected him. But out of the corner of his eye, he saw Yumi remaining still, watching him with a piercing gaze that seemed to see right through his words.

  Kato went quiet for a second. He looked like he wanted to argue, but seeing Arata's miserable physical state, he finally let out a long sigh.

  "Why didn't you just call me, Bro?" Kato shook his head, but his tone softened. "You scared us, Arata. Now come on, get up. We need to leave before you pass out a second time."

  Kato and Hana started moving back toward the truck, but Yumi didn't budge. Her eyes were fixed on Arata's fist, hiding the necklace. Something didn't sit right with her—how could someone who had been passed out for two days from dehydration speak that clearly the moment they woke up?

  Arata noticed her scrutinizing gaze. Feeling uncomfortable under her watch, he tried to break the ice as he stepped closer, even though his legs were still shaking.

  "I'm Arata... Kato and Hana's friend," he said, forcing a thin smile. He reached out his hand to introduce himself.

  Yumi didn't move. She didn't return the handshake; instead, she kept her arms crossed, her eyes narrowed.

  "I'm Yumi," she replied shortly. Her voice was cold and firm. "You look both healthy and like a total mess. If you want to make small talk, do it when you can actually stand up straight."

  Yumi turned on her heel and walked past Arata toward the truck without looking back. Arata stood there, his hand still hanging in the air. "What is up with that girl?" he thought.

  They tried to lift Arata's motorcycle into the back of the truck, but their efforts were futile. Arata was still wobbly, and the combined strength of Kato, Hana, and Yumi wasn't enough to hoist the heavy iron frame onto the high deck.

  Kato finally grunted in frustration, wiping sweat from his temples. He reached into his pocket and called his house assistant. "Paman, please come here with the pickup that has the winch. There's a bike we need to transport. I'll send you the coordinates."

  After hanging up, Kato signaled for them to get into the cabin. But just as the wheels began to turn, Arata suddenly bolted upright.

  "Wait, Kato! Stop!" Arata shouted in a panic.

  "What is it?!" Kato yelled, slamming on the brakes so hard they were all thrown forward.

  Without answering, Arata scrambled out of the car. With shaky steps, he ran back to his bike, fumbled with the tie-downs on the rear seat, and grabbed a tattered backpack that had been strapped tightly there.

  As soon as he climbed back into the cabin and shut the door, an incredibly pungent odor instantly filled the cramped space.

  "What is that smell?!" Kato, Hana, and Yumi shouted almost in unison, covering their noses. Hana immediately rolled down the window, gasping for fresh air. "Arata! That's horrifying!"

  Arata looked awkward, his face flushing red as he clutched the backpack tightly in his lap. "Uhh... this... well... it's my lunch," he stammered.

  "That's rotten, you idiot!" Yumi barked, looking at the damp backpack with disgust. "Two days in a sealed bag under the hot sun? Are you trying to kill us with that stench?"

  "Yeah, I know," Arata muttered, turning his face away. "But I couldn't leave it... it's important." And I'd be in big trouble if I left it behind, he added silently.

  "Good grief, Arata! Do we really have to drive all the way back with that thing in here?" Kato asked, trying to steer with one hand while using the other to cover his nose with his collar.

  Arata hugged the backpack even tighter. "Come on... helping a friend once in a while won't hurt, right?" he said, his voice muffled.

  "You... honestly, you're something else," Kato huffed, though there was a hint of suppressed laughter in his voice—a classic sign of an old friendship. "Everything involving you is always so complicated. Can't your life be normal for once?"

  Finally, the truck sped away, leaving the Valley of White Mist behind. The atmosphere in the cabin was thick with awkwardness. Hana and Yumi didn't stop complaining, their hands busy fanning the air. They eventually opened every window, letting the gale-force wind howl through the cabin to—thankfully—whisk away the rotting scent of Arata's backpack.

  Arata sat in silence, staring out the window. Amidst the roar of the wind and his friends' bickering, he felt a warm pulse from the gem in his pocket. He knew that inside the backpack they called "rotten," lay a gift from someone that he had forgotten to eat.