Sensing Calista's hesitation, Kallum cast his gaze toward the darkness overhead. His voice was so soft as he said, “Don't give me any of that nonsense about living well... I used to harbor a wicked thought, that if I were to die, could I possibly take you down with me? Isn't it terrible of me to harbor such thoughts? You've been so supportive, yet here I am with these intentions. So now, to make things fair, if you die, I'll join you. If you still want me to live, then take care of yourself.”
In the howling wind, Calista could barely make out his words. Yet, she felt such a profound ache in her chest, such a swelling sensation, as if something was on the verge of spilling out.
Once again, the fine sand slipped away, jolting Calista awake. She had no time for hesitation.
Taking a deep breath, she typed out a message and even added an emoji.
Calista: For the sake of your well-being, I have no choice but to stay alive begrudgingly.
Outside the radio station, many who saw her message couldn't help but laugh through their tears. Meanwhile, Kallum's lips curved slightly upward. His gaze was resolute as he looked up at the sky.
Bang!
The echo of a gunshot reverberated through the gorge, acting like a signal, stirring everyone into action.
“The measurements are in. Seventy meters to the southeast, at a height of one thousand seven hundred meters above ground!”
At last, her exact location was found.
It was determined that the quickest way to rescue her was from above, as the abundance of trees below made it difficult to move around.
Kallum took immediate action. He boarded a helicopter and flew directly above the location where Calista was, ready to rescue her.
At that moment, Calista let out a soft gasp and crouched down. With the sound of her gunshot, the ledge she was on started to tremble non-stop, slowly sliding downward.
She reached out, desperate to grasp anything within her reach, but there was nothing, only stone upon stone. Even though she could hear something thundering overhead, she simply had no time left.
Once she fell, it would mean certain death. She didn't want to die. She couldn't die.
The helicopter wobbled under the force of the wind. Quintus was about to jump down to rescue her, but he was stopped by Kallum.
“Let me!”
“Mr. Kallum...”
“Tie it on for me!”
Everyone was at a loss. They lowered a rope, and all they could do was secure a safety buckle onto Kallum.
Though Quintus was anxious, he gritted his teeth and gave instructions when he found himself unable to prevent the situation.
“Mr. Kallum, we've already measured the height of the rope. Once you glide to the end of the rope, you'll be able to see Ms. Stafford. You need to move slowly and steadily. Otherwise, in the strong wind, you might cause the helicopter to veer off course!”
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