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Damien was quick to secure the safety hook around me, signaling for Dr. Adams to pull me up.
But at that moment, panic hit me hard. There was only one safety rope.
‘What about Damien?”
“Damien, you don’t have to save me!” I yelled, desperation creeping into my voice.
He gave me a faint smile, his eyes filled with something I couldn’t place. “Camille, I’ve saved you again. I hope you find happiness.”
Before I could say another word, he gave me a gentle push, and I was hoisted into the air, the rope pulling me swiftly upwards. Dr. Adams yanked on the rope with all his might, but all I could do was watch helplessly as Damien
was swallowed by the falling rubble and dust.
“Damien!” I screamed his name, tears pouring down my face as the weight of it all hit me.
In that instant, all the hate, all the resentment I had carried for him, disappeared.
It was just… loss.
Finally, I was pulled to the surface. I wrenched myself free from Dr. Adams’s grip and ran toward the cave entrance, ignoring the debris that continued to fall around me.
“Camille, don’t be impulsive!” Dr. Adams shouted, but his words were lost in the rush of adrenaline and grief.
I couldn’t hear him anymore. My only focus was getting to Damien, getting back to him.
But before I could make it out, Dr. Adams grabbed my arm and yanked me back from the danger zone. “Stop! We can’t go back, it’s too dangerous!”
I collapsed, my knees buckling beneath me.
I sobbed uncontrollably, my body wracked with grief. My mind kept replaying the image of Damien’s last smile, his final wave before he disappeared into the collapsing cave.
“Dr. Adams, Damien… he’s still down there. We have to save him!” I cried, clutching his arm tightly, my nails digging into his flesh.
Dr. Adams’s face tightened, his brow furrowing in sorrow and helplessness.
“Camille,” he said, his voice low and filled with regret. “The damage to the cave is too severe. If we go back in, we’ll be risking our own lives–and we still won’t be able to save him.”
His words hit me like a slap. He was right, I knew it, but it didn’t make it easier. I didn’t argue. Instead, I allowed Dr. Adams to guide me to safety.
I couldn’t tell how long we’d been standing there when the collapse finally ceased. The silence that followed
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We searched for days, hoping against reason that Damien might have survived somehow. But after three days of scouring the area, there was no sign of him.
And then, as if the universe wasn’t done with me yet, another avalanche struck.
Dr. Adams stood beside me, his expression grave as he turned to me. “Camille… the terrain here is too dangerous. We did everything we could. We have to leave.”
I stood frozen, the weight of his words sinking in slowly. My throat tightened as I whispered, almost to myself, “I understand.”
At thirteen, I had buried my mother here, in this frozen wasteland.
And now, at twenty–six, I was burying Damien. The lies, the love, the pain… it all felt so pointless. Everything had changed, and yet it still felt like nothing had really been resolved.
A year later, I was standing by my mother’s grave, the wind cold against my skin as I looked out over the endless horizon. The same place I’d said goodbye to Damien. The place that had swallowed so much of my heart.
My phone rang, breaking the stillness. It was Dr. Adams.
“Camille, the materials you brought back-” His voice was full of excitement. “-we’ve tested them. Turns out the substance is an ancient remedy that could cure cancer! Thank you, Camille. This discovery could change everything.”
I stood there for a long moment, the wind ruffling my hair, a slight smile tugging at the corners of my mouth.
“It wasn’t just me,” I whispered, looking out at the sun setting on the horizon, the soft glow reflecting off the snow. “It was all of us, from the Antarctic Research Institute.”
I stood there in silence, the world still and heavy around me, before turning and walking away.
It was over. It was all over.
But maybe, just maybe, I could find some peace now.
(The End)
