Heading Home

Rayne took a few minutes to think. First, she needed to free herself from the rope that was wrapped around her.

She remembered the utility scissors she had bought from the outdoor camping store. She closed her eyes and visualized the scissors in her system.

After a moment, the scissors appeared in her hand. She carefully wiggled her hand to position the scissors on the rope.

Just as she felt she was about to cut through the rope, the scissors fell out of her hand.

She repeated the process of retrieving the scissors from her system and tried again to cut the rope.

This time, she managed to get the scissors into a better angle and cut the rope, freeing herself from the tree.

Rayne took off the sack that had been placed over her head, restoring her vision.

She looked around warily, hoping that no one was around, especially those two men.

Thankfully, Rayne did not hear or see anyone in the area. She picked up the scissors she had dropped earlier and put them in the system trash bin.

She reached into her pocket to get her cellphone, but she didn't feel anything. Then she remembered that it had been tossed down into the ravine.

Rayne opened her system screen and retrieved a copy of her phone. Unfortunately, all of the photos she had taken of the waterfall were gone, but Rayne wasn't in the mood to worry about that.

All she wanted to do was get back safely. She took out a water bottle from the system and drank it all before setting off back to her campsite.

The walk back was uneventful. Rayne ran into a few small groups of hikers but quickly walked past them after giving a brief greeting.

Normally, Rayne would have stopped to chat with the hikers, commenting on how pretty the scenery was. However, after her recent incident, she was much more on edge.

Rayne finally made it back to her tent and sat down on the inflatable couch. She placed her hand over her eyes and started crying. The adrenaline wore off, and fear and sadness took over.

She sat there quietly crying for a while, letting all of her emotions out.

Her eyes were red and swollen after she finished crying. Streaks from where the tears had traveled were left on her face.

Rayne finally stood up. She told herself that the only way she would get over feeling helpless was to improve herself. She was more determined than ever to learn from her self-defense instructor.

It was no longer just an activity to make exercise more enjoyable; it was to gain the skills to save herself.

Rayne walked outside to wash her face in the cold stream. On her way there, she noticed that Natalie's campsite was empty. Rayne figured that after what happened with Dave, Natalie wouldn't feel like entertaining him any longer.

She squatted on the bank of the stream and splashed cold water over her face.

The cold water felt very refreshing on her skin, helping her clear her thoughts.

She stared at the flowing water, trying to figure out what she wanted to do next. Truthfully, she didn't really want to stay another night. Camping gave a sense of adventure and excitement, but what Rayne wanted now was a feeling of security.

She walked back to her tent and began packing everything up. This trip was meant for fun and relaxation, and if she was no longer getting those things, then there was no point in staying.

The sun was still up, giving Rayne plenty of time to pack and hit the road before it got dark.

The packing process was relatively easy. The high-quality design of the tent made it very simple to deflate and fold.

Rayne didn't bother putting the tent back in its packaging; she simply placed the roughly folded tent in the back of her car. Once all the other items were placed in the car, Rayne went around and put everything into the trash bin of her system. She only kept a few smaller items, like the cooler and hiking backpack, for show.

Rayne drove toward the entrance of the park, stopping by the service counter. She was greeted by the tall female park ranger who helped her check in.

"Oh, you know you still have one night left on your reservation?" said the park ranger, looking at the computer screen.

"Ah, yes, I know. Unfortunately, something came up at home, and I need to leave earlier," Rayne lied. She decided not to tell the ranger about the two men because she knew that if she mentioned them, she would need to give a police statement.

The man on the phone mentioned a "boss," and Rayne knew that they were more than just two thugs. She felt that if she got too involved, these people would find her, and she wasn't ready for that.

After she finished checking out, Rayne drove straight home, stopping only to refuel the car.

While driving, she took out a sweet caramel iced coffee from her system, sipping it occasionally. The sweet taste lifted her mood little by little, allowing Rayne to arrive back home in a rather cheerful mood.

She peeked around the corner before walking toward the entrance of the apartment building. Rayne let out a sigh of relief upon seeing that old Mrs. Barton was not there today and quickly walked into the building.

After entering her apartment, Rayne ran to take a shower. She hadn't showered while at the campground and felt a little gross.

The warm water of the shower somewhat substituted for the warmth of a hug that she had been craving since the incident in the mountains, lifting her spirits.

Rayne spent the rest of the day at home watching TV, reading, drawing, and cooking a few easy meals.

She also did a little bit of research about the event that Ella invited her to. She found out that the event was quite formal. Many top figures in the design/architectural world would be there, along with many important companies looking for promising talent.

"It seems like this event is quite exclusive. I'm honored that Ella invited me," Rayne said while reading more on the event.

At the bottom of the event website was a special mention:

[ Special Guest: REN Corp. will be hosting a design contest. The top three designs will win a contract with REN Corp. to design their next office buildings!

Top prize: an exclusive contract for a secret project!

This is an extremely rare opportunity to work with one of the most lucrative and elite corporations in the country! ]

"REN Corp., huh? This might be interesting! I'd like to try and see if it's fate that we work together!"

Rayne went to her bedroom and opened the small safe in her closet. She kept all of her important documents there, along with a large leather folder containing her portfolio.

All of her best designs were stored inside the portfolio, showcasing her best work. Rayne was always quite proud of her work because she put a lot of effort into each design, perfecting it.

"Winning a contract could help me secure an income for a bit while working at my own pace," Rayne smiled as she carried her portfolio to the kitchen table.

Before she began to organize the designs inside the folder, Rayne stored it in her system.

She picked out the most recent design she had worked on before the coma. It was a multi-story hotel blueprint that was extremely unique and creative. The exterior architecture was very different from the interior, but the way Rayne designed it created a unique, cohesive synergy.

Picking up the blueprint, Rayne studied the near-finished design and decided it was time to finish it. She felt that this hotel design could help her get a spot in the contest at the gala.

She retrieved her pencil case with her specialty blueprint utensils and sat down, spending the rest of the night and the next day finishing the design.

Tuesday morning, Rayne woke up a bit late but in good spirits.

She stayed up late finishing the design to her perfect standard. Overall, she was very happy with the completed blueprint. This was probably one of the best works she'd ever created.

Rayne placed the blueprints back into the portfolio folder and stored the updated portfolio in the system. She placed the portfolio back into her safe and got ready to attend her self-defense class.

She had messaged Brent the day before and asked if they could meet earlier in the day since she needed time to get ready for the gala. He agreed, and they moved the lesson two hours earlier, allowing Rayne to schedule a hair and makeup appointment right after.

She got dressed in her sports attire and ate a light breakfast, consisting of a hard-boiled egg and a cup of tea. She cheered herself up by telling herself that she would treat herself to something delicious after her lesson.