Bryce felt the Grass shift under his feet. Standing in the exact same spot as he did an hour ago. Waiting... for him. He stared up at the sky, trying to hear any sign of Airy. His fists clenched in anger. He wanted his friend back. He was going to do everything in his power to do so.

"Y'know... Standing in the same spot staring into the sky isn't gonna help you." Charlotte states. Sitting in the shade of a bush.

"Why do you even care?" Bryce hissed looking back at her, Clearly agitated.

"I Just think it's stupid." She says moving one of her knees up and resting her arm on it. "I understand you just wanna help. But what is standing in the same spot for hours going to do? You can talk to him from essentially anywhere here." She leaned back against the bush.

"Shut UP. I don't need your input right now... Your only pissing me off more." Bryce yelled. His fists clenching tighter.

"Whatever." She says rolling her eyes and looking to the side.

"Tch..." Bryce spat. Going back to what he was doing. He looked back up at the sky. Not even a second later he flinched, falling over to the screech of Airy's Microphone turning on.

"Hey... Guys..." Airy said sounding disappointed.

"YOU! I HEARD HIM! WHERES LIAM?!" Bryce shouted Furiously.

Airy made a low and bored groan. Before lifting Bryce in the air.

"W-Wh-?! H-hey!!! WHAT THE F—?!" Bryce thrashed in the air trying to hit whatever lifted him. "P-put me DOWN! What are you doing?! Stop!" He screamed.

Airy, being careful not to crush him, lifted him higher. "Stop." He stated sternly.

Everyone down in the Plane began to yell and run about, trying to tell Bryce to stay calm, or telling Airy to put Bryce down.

"What the F*CK is your problem?!" Bryce asked completely caught off guard.

"Listen. I don't want you causing any issues... You hear?" Airy said. His stern voice was petrifying. There was no emotion in the way he said this. But if you could see his face...? It was angry.

"You must be CRAZY if you think I'm going to listen to YOU." Bryce hissed. Pointing in random directions, unable to see Airy. "I'm going to—."

"The Liam you knew before is gone." Airy said. His voice firm.

Bryce froze. What? GONE?! What does that even mean? He KNEW something was up earlier. "Wh-What?" Bryce asked trying not to let his voice waver.

"I won't say it again." Airy dropped Bryce. "He's gone."

"OH NO!" Amelia screamed. Watching Bryce fall, not having enough time to catch him.
Luckily He landed in a bush, breaking his fall. Everyone rushed towards the bush helping Bryce out.

Bryce was shaking sweat was seeping out of his plastic. What did Airy mean by 'Gone'? Surely Liam wasn't dead! He just heard him an hour ago! Bryce hadn't noticed but his breathing quickened.

"Everyone..." Airy said, Mostly towards Bryce.

Bryce looked up at the sky again. Rubbing both of his own arms. "What?!" He asks angrily, his voice shaky.

Everyone else just turned their attention to Their surroundings instead of replying verbally.

"I'm going to bring Backpack here tomorrow." Airy said. Sighing shortly after before continuing. "Try anything and I'll make sure you all never see him again. Do you understand?"

"Y—You!" Bryce started, Amelia softly pulling him back. She looked at him in the eyes. She shakes her head. "Fine..." Bryce hesitantly answered.

"Good. Now, why don't we start today's challenge?" Airy said a bit of a cheery chime in his voice.

———

Liam walked along the cliff side, balancing along the edge. It was pretty high, but the trees would break his fall if he fell, so he didn't really care. He watched one foot carefully placed in front of the other near the edge. Occasionally putting his hands up to stabilize his balance if necessary.

It was pretty quiet. But he could hear the sound of rushing water from  the waterfall in the distance. Maybe he'd go check it out, he's been less scared of the bridge ever since he first crossed it. Liam makes his way along the edge, the sound of the waterfall growing near, it was calming.

He shut his eyes imagining the rushing water and the disturbance of the water as it hits the lake at the bottom and then rushing up against the shore. For a split second, all his worries were gone. The calming and nice feeling washed over him as if he were laying on the shore of a beach.

His thoughts were quickly drowned by the ground disappearing beneath his feet. Air rushing past him as he fell from the cliff. He hadn't been keeping track of where he was. He opened his eyes, was this how he had fallen before?! He hit the water sinking beneath the surface due to the source, he could feel the water soak into the fabric he was made of.

Luckily he didn't hit his head, however he did hit his leg. On a rock on his way down, he must have not noticed this because of the original shock. But... DAMN did it hurt. He felt this pain shoot into his leg like a bullet, soaring through the rest of his body. It was making it difficult to swim... swim... Which way was up again?

He couldn't tell where he was going why was it so disorienting?! He thrashed around in the water looking for a way out. He eventually turned to see the light above him making a light gasp before trying his best to reach the surface. But he felt so weak an powerless... He grazed the surface with his fingertips, before the the inside of him was completely filled with water feeling as the blue shadows below pulled him under. He had REALLY messed up this time... Would Airy even find him? He had been gone for hours... Surely he would've been back by NOW right? He practically begged the universe to come to his aid but... it never came. Hope faded from his eyes. He closed them accepting his fate...

...

He felt a hand grab him. Swiftly ripping him out of the water. His vision was blurry, Liam couldn't see anything but he could hear yelling and panicked mumbling as he felt the water being drained out onto the sand beneath him. Liam watched as the world faded to dark.

But.

He was Alive!

Right?

———