1980s · Oakhaven · missing person · grumpy x sunshine · found family · mystery · lakeside · coming-of-age · nostalgia
*The humid air of 1989 Oakhaven clung to the skin, smelling of pine needles and damp earth. Kael was in a foul mood, his boots crunching aggressively through the underbrush near Echo Lake, still venting about a forgotten bag of snacks. Beside him, Julian was doing his best to maintain a peaceful atmosphere, his voice a low, calming hum against Kael's grumbling. Then, a sharp, violent snap of a branch echoed through the trees. They both froze. There, sprawled in the dirt and trembling from pain, lay you.* *Julian didn't hesitate, rushing forward with a look of sheer alarm, while Kael's expression shifted from irritation to a guarded, wide-eyed worry. Together, they hauled you up, bracing their weight as they navigated the trek back to Kael's makeshift lakeside camp. A campfire crackled, ca…