Isaac trailed his finger on the rocky wall. He felt a few holes and bumps that could be used to climb.
"Sigh…" Luna moved her palm around the rocky wall. However, her face showed a lack of interest. Her mind was a mess, and most of the time, her head turned in the direction of Isaac.
She opened her mouth before closing it again and turning her head away. Then, she shook her head and continued on finding a way to reach the top.
"I think I found a way." Isaac's voice caught Luna's attention. She moved closer to him and listened attentively.
He raised his head and skimmed through all the positions of the holes. He positioned his palms in front of him and was currently standing in the center of the rock wall.
The holes were perfectly placed to use as handhold and foothold. However, the hard part was at the end of the rock wall. The holes end, replaced by bumps.
The bumps were at somewhat random places, and it required excellent athletic abilities to manage to grab them.
'I can do it… But, what about Luna?' Isaac rubbed his imaginary beard and began to think. Luna probably didn't have much experience in the field of sports. She was diagnosed with Winter Illness, which hindered her from having a normal childhood.
Luna tilted her head after seeing him looking at her. Soon, she realized why. When she looked at the rock wall, she also saw the path.
"Ah, you don't have to worry about me!" She pulled her sleeves up and showed her soft arms without any signs of muscle.
"Alright…" Isaac wasn't very assured but had another idea, "I will climb first, then you do it."
"Alright!" Luna nodded vigorously. She had zero intention of being a hindrance and wanted to do her own part of the work. Since she was a child, she had been taken care of because her body was weak since birth.
Her clenched fist tensed and suddenly tugged Isaac's sleeve.
"Hmm?" Isaac was about to begin the climbing but suddenly felt his sleeve being yanked back. He saw Luna biting her soft lip as she grabbed the holes in the wall and began to climb.
Isaac's eyes widened for a split second. Then, he placed himself below Luna, ready to catch her if she fell.
Luna, at first, began climbing slowly. Then, her pace began gradually quickening. The rock wall was, in total, 15 meters tall.
The hard part begins from 12 meters onward.
She quickly passed the easy part and soon reached the 12-meter mark. Luna's limbs trembled, and she glanced below her out of instinct. That was a mistake on her part.
She was the big fall that could be ahead if her hold slipped.
Her face paled, and her hold almost loosened. Isaac raised his arms but then saw the black-haired girl balancing her body forth, which kept her from falling.
He slowly lowered his arms and began smiling.
Luna slowly removed her left hand from the last hole in the wall and began reaching for the bump. It was at an awkward angle, forcing her to lean forward with only her toes staying on the holes.
Grab!
She grabbed the bump and felt a wave of relief washing over her. She moved her right hand and caught the same spot. Then, she raised her legs and put them in the same place where her hands were earlier.
There was only a one-meter leap left. She tip-toed and barely managed to grab the last remaining bumps. Her exhaustion was catching up with sweatdrops trickling down her attractive face.
She couldn't help but smile after getting a hold of the bumps. Then she moved her legs to the first bump and did a short jump to reach the top of the wall. She carefully used her arms to pull her up, and soon, she found herself lying on the rocky ground.
She made it, and she couldn't believe it. That was perhaps the greatest achievement in her life, and her veins were still pumping adrenaline into her body.
Then, a short minute later, Isaac arrived with a drenched forehead. The climbing took a heavy toll on him, but he was much faster.
He lay on the ground, right next to Luna's fatigued figure. Their hands inched closer to each other before locking their hands into a tight grip.
"Haahh… Good job." Isaac closed his eyes and enjoyed the feeling of relief washing over him.
Luna's eyes opened with a smile painted on her face. Then, she saw the room they were in. There was a single door and a gas lamp on top of a square-shaped table.
There was a timer on the door that was slowly ticking down.
[0:49…]
[0:48…]
"Kyaa, Isaac, there is a timer!" Luna instantly knew that they would fail if the timer reached zero.
Isaac's eyes slammed open, and he jumped to his feet. They reached the door and tried to open it, but the doorknob didn't even budge.
Then, a question appeared out of thin air.
[A man calls his dog from the opposite side of the river. The dog crosses the river without getting wet and without using a bridge or boat. How?]
"A quiz?" Luna's exhausted face couldn't believe it. After defying odds and climbing to the top. They were about to fail because of a quiz.
Isaac glanced at the timer and saw that they only had 40 seconds remaining!
Thud.
Luna fell down on her knees and wrapped her arms around herself. Her body shook, and she didn't dare look at Isaac's eyes. The feeling of regret assaulted her feeble mind.
If she were faster and if she noticed the timer quicker… The different scenarios went through her mind. What could have she done differently?
Then, Isaac's warm hand landed on her soft hair, causing her to jolt in surprise. Her teary eyes turned toward him, and a rush of emotions went through her mind. Her heartbeat quickened, and her mind became empty.
Isaac smiled and turned toward the clock that reached the twenty-second mark, "The river was frozen."
Ding! Ding!
Creak!
The timer stopped and the door opened with a loud screeching creak.
Luna's body shook. She watched as the door slowly opened, showing another room with a large bed, bookshelves, a desk, carpet, and mirror. There weren't windows or any way out except the door.
She slowly stood up and wrapped her arms around Isaac's waist as she pressed her body tightly onto his.
Isaac shifted his gaze and saw her blushing face. His eyes became hazy, and he had to turn his gaze back to the room to erase his unusual thoughts.
"Let's continue... Shall we?"
Then, she hugged him tighter and rested her head on his shoulder. She let out a giggle and buried her face in his shoulder, not daring to show her face that was dyed in pink.
