B


    The Deste Ind


    Finished


    "It''s fine. I''ll leave thepany in Grandpa''s hands. Expand the search area; the surrounding waters are just as important."


    His voice was hoarse and rich, with a deep, maic tone. Orion''s gaze was somber and intense.


    Ken sighed. He turned away to continue monitoring the search signals.


    Justin was still holding out, too.


    With Emeris in the hospital and Sivir having to take care of both thepany and their father, Justin stepped up to aid in the rescue efforts.


    His attitude toward Orion had noticeably shifted over the past few days.


    What started as disdain had turned to frustration and anger upon learning the reason for Seraphina''s departure. Now, it had morphed into sorrow. Sivir was right. Objectively speaking, this wasn''t Orion''s fault.


    How could they ce all the me on him?


    Over the past few days, Orion seemed more dead than alive.


    The inte''s attention came quickly but faded just as fast.


    The ne crash news was already old. Seraphina had be just another name, memorialized online.


    Soon enough, a new trending topic had reced the number one spot. No one believed Seraphina could have survived.


    Nearly a thousand nautical miles away from the search area, on a tiny, deserted ind battered by the relentless sea. The ce was void of human life.


    Dense, towering pines blocked out the sun. Beyond the foresty the crashing waves and the cold, salty sea breeze.


    Seraphina had wandered this forsaken ce for three days, unable to find fresh water or food. She hadn''t had a drop to drink or a bite to eat.


    Her lips were beginning to crack painfully.


    Luckily, she had been faster than everyone else. In the split second before the ne exploded, she had opened the emergency exit and jumped with her parachute without hesitation. That split-second decision had thrown her miles off course, but it saved her life.


    In the aftermath, the reality of her situation settled in. She felt a deep sorrow for the others who weren''t as fortunate.


    Soon, she began to question whether she could survive on this ind.


    Her phone had fallen into the sea, and allmunication devices were lost.


    The Deste Ind


    She had no choice but to wait for rescue.


    There was nothing here, especially not fresh water.


    Without water, a person can survive for at most seven days.


    Now, she was approaching her limit.N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.


    She sat on a rock, feeling as though she could no longer hold on, overwhelmed by despair.


    Why wasn''t anyoneing to save her?


    So many days had passed without a single sign of rescue.


    Did they really think she was dead?


    Finished


    And that damn Orion! Why did he have to hand her that cursed invitation and send her straight to hell?


    Of course, anything rted to him was trouble.


    Right now, she has a million reasons to hate him.


    In her despair, she also thought that if he coulde to save her now, she could forgive everything from the past..


    At a loss, Seraphina looked out at the distant waves. She felt as if they were swallowing her whole as wave after wave crushed on the shore. Was she really going to die here?


    She sniffled. Her eyes stung, and tears threatened to fall.


    "I''m starving. How could I be so rich and still starve to death?"


    Mumbling to herself, she mustered thest bit of courage she had and re-entered the forest.


    Maybe she could find some berries to eat among the trees.


    She was fortunate to have changed intofortable t shoes before boarding the ne; otherwise, her fate would have been certain.


    The trees here were tall, towering dozens of meters into the sky-not as lush and dense as in a tropical rainforest, but each tree was so wide it would take several people to encircle them. These were species she had never seen before. Exhausted, she trudged on. Her hands were already bloodied from the branches that had scratched her. The bloodstains were stark and noticeable, but she didn''t care.


    After all, her life was at stake.


    She forced her weary body forward, her legs heavy, her head spinning with fatigue.


    Something tripped her, and she stumbled, falling hard onto the muddy ground.


    The nain brought a moment of rity


    The Deste Ind


    Finished


    The intense hunger and weakness caused her vision to darken, and she gradually lost consciousness.


    Seraphina wanted to open her eyes, but her body no longer obeyed her. It seemed like she could hear heavy footsteps nearby and voices speaking in anguage she couldn''t understand.