His Innocent Sera

It was her 18th birthday, but nobody here had a clue. Sera also kept the fact to herself.

She started her morning by opening the little box Dyson had given her before she set out for the trip. He had firmly instructed her not to open it until her birthday. Smiling, she lifted the lid only to discover a bracelet nestled inside. Warm tears moistened her eyes as she retrieved the piece from the box. He had been saving up his money for the last few weeks. Now she realised what it was for.

She wiped away a lone tear and excitedly draped the bracelet around her wrist. The bracelet might have cost little, but to her, it was priceless, much like the chocolate he'd given her when he was only four, its crumpled wrapper still tucked away with all his other cherished gifts. When no one would even remember her birthday, Dyson would surprise her every year with a gift. These gifts from Dyson were far more valuable than the ones Nate had gifted her.

Giovanni stepped into the low tent, his head bent to fit.

"Everyone is ready, are you?" he asked, appraising her.

"Yes," she said, standing up. She was ready, too. The girl followed him outside, not noticing she'd forgotten her phone in the tent.

Today was the last day of their trip, and they had decided to do a little bbq to conclude their excursion.

The duties were divided in two. The first group would cook, and the second would collect firewood from the forest. Sera and Giovanni were in the second group. They left to gather wood. Her phone was still in the tent, long forgotten.

They roamed around, searching for wood, but found little to gather.

"I think we'll find lots of firewood there," Giovanni pointed towards a treeline in the distance. Sera squinted to get a better look.

"It's too far," Sera said.

"It isn't. We'll make a quick trip, gather wood, and come back," Giovanni assured.

"I don't think we should." Sera wasn't convinced.

"Loosen up, Diaz. Live a little," Giovanni approached her, smirking. He stopped before her and added, "feel the air, chase some chaos, You are too bottled up." His eyes locked with hers, challenging her to tell him differently. She was living like a prisoner, and that was too evident.

She swallowed, her gaze wandering to the treeline marking the edge of her view. Maybe he was right. She had been so cautious of everything that life was passing her by. She had never done anything remotely thrilling in her life, never stepped out of the line, never stirred a chaos. And this was her last day.

And how would he know? He wasn't even here. The treeline was calling her to explore its vastness. Maybe she can gift herself a taste of freedom today. Her mind set, she looked over at Giovanni.

"Let's go," she stated, bringing a mysterious smile to his face. They ventured further into the wild. Her lips curved into a smile as she let her heart free.

But the forest turned out to be denser than they had expected. Her confidence waned as they slipped deeper. It felt as the woods were sucking them in. Every spot looked the same. She regretted her decision when Giovanni told her that they had lost the way. Dread seized her as she followed in his steps, searching for a way out. The darkening sky peeked through gaps in the massive leaves overhead, warning her against the time that was slipping by.

"What are we going to do now?" she asked, her voice trembling with dread as she squinted through the spreading darkness.

"Don't worry. We'll find a way," Giovanni said, leading her onto a certain path. She was too consumed by fear to take note of that.

Just then, a thunderous howl reverberated through the air, making her jump towards him. She clutched his bicep, scared out of her wits.

"Did you hear it?" she asked, her alert eyes darting around but unable to see anything in the dark.

"I did," Giovanni said, his voice strained. And if it wasn't enough, it started to rain all of a sudden. Sera couldn't believe her bad luck.

Giovanni grabbed her hand and pulled her toward a tree to seek shelter. By the time they got there, they were drenched from head to toe. She had tears in her eyes as she glanced up. If he found out, he was going to kill her.

"Huddle up against me. You're cold," Giovanni suggested, pulling her out of her thoughts. She found him stepping closer.

"No, I am fine," Sera refused, wrapping her arms around her waist to lock in the warmth.

"I already feel guilty for dragging you here. Let me help a little," he insisted. She shook her head.

But he didn't hear. She felt his arm slide around her, and suddenly, she was pressed against his chest.

"We need to keep each other warm," he murmured, causing her body to stiffen up. His voice held something that can't be called concern. It made her instinct squirm.

She shifted to get out of his embrace, but he held her tighter.

"Stop," he hissed in her ear, it sounded more like a warning.

Just then a sudden lightning strike lit up the night, bathing their surroundings in white.noveldrama

It exposed a figure, not far off, watching silently. Her eyes caught it.

Fear crashed over her, spinning her senses into a blur as she recognized who it

was.