The sun hung low in the sky, casting long shadows over the forest floor. Nova's boots sank slightly into the damp earth with each step, the scent of moss and wet leaves filling her senses. The air was still—eerily still—and for some reason, the silence felt heavier than it should have.
Beside her, Theo walked with a steady, cautious pace. His eyes never strayed far from the path ahead, as though he were searching for something unseen. The forest stretched around them, a world of green and brown, alive in ways that felt both unfamiliar and strangely comforting. It had been days since they'd left the broken world behind, but the weight of it still clung to Nova. It wasn't just the world that was broken anymore—it was her, too.
"How far are we going?" she asked, breaking the stillness. Her voice sounded too loud in the quiet.
Theo glanced over at her, his lips curling into a small, tired smile. "As far as we need to."
Nova didn't ask again. She had learned long ago that his answers were never as simple as they seemed. Theo was a master of deflection, of saying just enough to keep the questions from digging deeper. But that was okay. They were all navigating this new world in their own way. And sometimes, silence was the only language that made sense.
The path between them stretched on, but there was something different about it now. No more codes to follow, no more systems to reset. The absence of the noise, the clamor of constant feedback, was both liberating and disorienting. For a long time, Nova had been defined by the chaos of it all, by the glitches in the system and the moments of power that came with it. But here, in the heart of the forest, there were no resets, no safety nets. There was only the earth beneath her feet and the weight of their decisions.
Behind them, Ayen had fallen silent as well, her figure just visible in the distance. She was bent over, her fingers brushing through the underbrush, collecting herbs and other plants that might be useful. Nova watched her for a moment, wondering what went through Ayen's mind. She'd always been so quiet, so grounded in a way that Nova could never quite grasp. Ayen didn't talk much, but when she did, it was with a purpose. She was focused. Practical. And maybe that was why Nova trusted her so much.
"What if we don't find anyone?" Nova asked after a while, her voice softer this time. It was more of a thought than a question. She wasn't sure if she wanted the answer.
Theo slowed his pace, his boots crunching against the earth as he turned to face her. His expression softened, his features carrying a weariness that hadn't been there before. "I don't know. But we'll find something. Even if it's just a place to settle down and survive."
Nova couldn't bring herself to respond right away. What if survival wasn't enough? What if they were just wandering through the ruins of everything they once knew, hoping for something that might never come?
"Maybe this is the world we were always meant to live in," Theo continued, as if reading her mind. "Not the one we were born into, but the one we've got now. It's… different. Unstable. But it's real."
Nova nodded, her throat tight. She wanted to believe him. She really did. But it was hard to feel the weight of the world when everything she had ever known was built on false foundations. She wanted something solid, something she could hold onto.
Behind them, Ayen had finished her work and was walking toward them, her arms full of plants she had carefully gathered. Her gaze was distant, but her expression soft. She had a quiet kind of strength that Nova both admired and envied.
"Are you sure this is what we're doing?" Nova asked Ayen, her voice tentative. "Are we really just… walking?"
Ayen didn't answer immediately. She set the plants down beside the path and looked at Nova for a long moment before speaking. "What else is there to do, Nova? We don't have a map, and we don't have a guide. But we have each other. And we have this world now. The one we're going to build from the ground up."
Nova swallowed, feeling the weight of those words. A world to build. From nothing.
Ayen smiled faintly, then turned to Theo. "It's going to take more than just walking, though. We need to start thinking ahead. Shelter. Food. People. We need a plan."
Theo looked at her, the corner of his mouth twitching in the ghost of a smile. "A plan? You're asking me for a plan?"
Ayen raised an eyebrow. "You're the soldier. You should be good at this."
Theo gave a short, dry laugh. "That's the problem. I've spent my whole life following someone else's plan. It's about time I make my own."
Nova listened to their banter, grateful for the normalcy of it. Even in this broken world, even without the code that had once dictated every move they made, there were moments like this. Quiet moments. Moments of connection.
As the evening deepened, they reached a small clearing. The trees parted just enough to let the fading sunlight cast soft, golden beams across the forest floor. Ayen immediately set to work, collecting sticks and arranging them in a circle. She had the fire going in no time, and the warmth from the flames seemed to settle some of the tension in the air.
Theo moved to the edge of the clearing, his eyes scanning their surroundings. His hand rested lightly on the hilt of his knife, always alert, always ready.
Nova sat down on a rock, her gaze following the firelight. It was strange—this sense of peace. It wasn't home, but it was close enough for now. They had no more answers, no more guarantees. Just the fire before them, the people beside them, and the open road ahead.
"We'll figure it out," Nova murmured under her breath, more to herself than anyone else.
Ayen, sitting beside her now, smiled softly. "We already are."