He gave the stone wall a forceful kick, swinging his body and, in one fluid motion, untied the rope and landed on the ground.
His landing sent a horde of bats fluttering away Brushing off the thomy weeds that clung to him. Theo scanned his surroundings with sharp eyes.
The bottom of the cliff was a harsh environment, making him incredibly uncomfortable However, he didnât see any sign of Ellinor No matter what state Ellinor was in, alive or dead, he had to find her!
He furrowed his brows, parted the underbrush, and searched for Ellinor.
Suddenly a dark figure lunged at him from behind.
Theo, quick as a fox, spun around and landed a kick, sending a brown bear tumbling to the ground, wailing in pain.
The bear seemed to be starving so when it saw food, it got all excited. After a brief pause, it charged at Theo again.
Theo was agile and strong, and in no time, he had the bear sprawled on the ground.
Danger averted!
However, the appearance of the bear made Theo realize something was very wrong.
There was a freaking big beast at the bottom of the cliff!
He hadnât seen any sign of Ellinor. Could she have been eaten?
The thought made Theo seethe with anger. He drew a small shotgun from his waist, aiming at the bearâs head.
The bear seemed to know it was about to be shot, but it didnât have the strength to run away. It just lay there, trembling.
âTheo, donât kill the bear!â
Ellinorâs voice echoed through the valley.
Theo spun around, and there she was, looking all disheveled, her hair a mess, and her clothes ragged, not far from him..
She looked rough, but she was still full of spirit.
Ellinor stepped over some underbrush and approached Theo. âTheo, about theâ¦
Before she could finish. Theo rushed over and pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly She couldnât breathe with her head pressed against his chest.
Finally, she managed to lift her head, âTheo, that bear is a protected species, itâs illegal to kill it!â
After Theo made sure she was alright, he relaxed, looking at her and educating her, âHumans can kill any protected species in selfâdefense, you know?â
âYouâre right!â Ellinor replied, âBy the way, Theo, why did you come down here?â
Theo frowned, looking at her as if she were an alien, âWhat do you think?â
Ellinor rolled her eyes, âI didnât fall down initially I was hanging on a crooked tree, waiting for rescue!
But then I saw you coming down with a rope. I shouted at you, but you didnât hear! I had no choice but to jump down to find you, and 1 fell!â
Theo immediately grabbed her shoulders, scanning her for injuries, âAre you hurt?â
Ellinor waved her hand dismissively, âIâm fine! I just ripped my clothes!â
Theo stared at her, âIf you didnât fall initially, why did you jump down after seeing me?â
âBecause âEllinor almost blurted out, but stopped herself, thinking it might be misunderstood.
Theo frowned, pressing her, âBecause what?â
Ellinor turned her head away, uncomfortable under Theoâs intense gaze, murmuring. âI came down for the same reason you did!â
Theo paused, then burst into laughter He looked at her dirty little face, then ruffled her messy hair, saying, âSo youâre not a complete idiot, you actually worried about your husband!â
Ellinor was speechless