The morning light filtered through the dense canopy, casting fractured rays onto the forest floor.
The air was thick with the scent of damp earth and the quiet rustle of leaves.
Ada sat against the base of a large oak, her body weary but her eyes sharp, scanning the horizon.
Despite the calm of the early morning, a sense of unease hung in the air, like the stillness before a storm.
Beside her, Vega stirred from her rest, her expression one of quiet contemplation.
She had woken earlier, but unlike Ada, who could sleep in moments of tension, Vega had spent the hours reflecting on their journey, on the questions that still haunted her.
"You know," Vega began, breaking the silence, her voice soft but steady, "sometimes I wonder if we'll ever find what we're looking for."
Ada's gaze flickered toward her, but she didn't respond immediately. Instead, she reached for her gear, her movements fluid, a practiced routine that didn't require thought.
There was a pause before she finally spoke.
"We'll find it," Ada said, her voice resolute, though there was a hint of something unspoken behind her words. "Even if it takes us years, even if we have to fight for every inch, we will."
Vega didn't answer right away, but the weight of her words hung in the air, and Ada could feel her unease. It wasn't just about survival anymore.
It was about something deeper, something intangible.
They had been through too much to ignore the reality that the world was changing, and so were they.
Vega stood up, brushing the dirt from her hands, her eyes narrowed against the morning sun. "I hope you're right. But sometimes, Ada, it feels like we're chasing shadows. We keep running, but I don't even know what we're running toward anymore."
Ada stood too, her posture relaxed yet alert. "You're not alone in feeling that way," she replied quietly. "I've asked myself the same question more times than I can count. But if we stop now, if we give up, then we might as well let the world swallow us whole."
Vega's lips pressed together, a faint frown playing at the corners of her mouth.
She wasn't convinced, but she was willing to listen.
Ada wasn't just talking about survival anymore—there was something deeper in her words.
Something she wasn't saying, but Vega could sense.
A sudden rustle in the bushes broke the moment, and both women instantly dropped into defensive stances.
Their eyes scanned the area, muscles tense as the sound grew louder, closer.
Ada signaled for silence, and they both held their breath, waiting for whatever threat loomed just beyond the trees.
But it wasn't a threat.
A small, weathered figure emerged from the underbrush—a man, hunched over, with a wild, desperate look in his eyes.
His clothes were torn, his face drawn and pale from exhaustion.
"Please," he croaked, his voice barely a whisper. "Help... help us."
Ada's gaze narrowed as she assessed the stranger.
It was the type of situation that always made her hesitate—vulnerable people asking for help in a world that had long since abandoned any sense of safety.
But there was something in the man's voice, something that made her pause.
Vega, on the other hand, remained alert, her posture stiff. "Who are you?" she demanded, her tone cold but cautious.
The man's eyes flickered between them, a mix of fear and desperation. "We're... survivors. We've been hiding out, but... we can't hold out much longer. Please, we need your help. We're being hunted."
Ada and Vega exchanged a glance.
The word "hunted" hung heavily between them. It was a word they both understood all too well.
After all, they were constantly on the run, always a step ahead of those who would seek to end their lives.
"Why are you being hunted?" Ada asked, her voice steady but sharp.
The man's face twisted in pain, and he staggered slightly, as if the weight of his words was too much to bear. "There are... others," he gasped, his breath coming in shallow bursts. "People who... don't want to see anyone else survive. They want to control everything. And they'll stop at nothing to destroy anyone who stands in their way."
Vega's expression hardened. "You're talking about the remnants of the old government, aren't you?"
The man nodded weakly, his eyes wide with terror. "Yes. They've... taken over the region. They control everything. And if they find us—"
"We won't let them," Ada interrupted, her voice firm.
The decision was made in an instant.
There was no hesitation, no second-guessing.
Helping this man might bring trouble—more than they could handle—but they couldn't just ignore someone in need.
Not when they knew too well what it felt like to be hunted, to be at the mercy of those who believed power was the only currency that mattered.
"Get up," Ada said, her tone commanding but not unkind. "We'll help you, but you'll have to keep up. We move fast, and we move silent."
The man nodded fervently, a look of relief crossing his face, though it was clear he was barely holding it together.
Vega looked at Ada, her expression unreadable, but there was a quiet understanding between them. "This is risky," she said softly, her voice low. "We don't know anything about these people."
Ada didn't reply immediately, her eyes fixed on the man, who was now slowly rising to his feet. "I know. But we can't keep running forever. We have to make a stand sometime."
Vega's gaze lingered on Ada for a moment longer, before she nodded. "Let's do it. Together."
They moved quickly, the weight of their decision settling over them like a fog.
The man led them toward a hidden shelter, a small outpost deep in the forest, where a group of survivors had made their stand.
Ada and Vega had learned long ago that nothing was ever truly safe, but they were willing to take this risk—for now.
As they moved deeper into the woods, the faint sound of footsteps echoed behind them, and Ada couldn't shake the feeling that they were being followed.
But she pushed the thought away, focusing instead on the task ahead.
There was no time to waste, no room for doubt.
In the distance, a faint flicker of movement caught her attention.
A shadow, almost imperceptible in the trees, but enough to make her heart race.
"Stay close," Ada whispered urgently, her hand gripping her weapon. "We're not alone."