The morning came slowly, with the sun creeping through the trees and casting pale beams of light across the forest floor. The air felt fresh, almost too fresh, as if the world had just been reborn and was still unsure of itself. Nova woke to the sound of rustling leaves, her eyes blinking against the soft morning light. She had spent the night curled on the ground, her back pressed to the rough bark of a tree, a blanket of leaves her only comfort.
Her body ached in places it hadn't in a long time, and for a moment, she almost forgot where she was. The remnants of the old world—the spires, the systems, the voices that had once guided her—felt like distant echoes. It was both freeing and unsettling. The forest around her was real, as real as the earth beneath her feet and the rustling of the leaves above.
Theo was already awake, kneeling beside the fire they'd built the night before. The flames had long since burned low, but the warmth still lingered in the cool morning air. He was sharpening his knife, the rhythmic sound of steel against stone filling the space between them.
Ayen was still asleep, her body curled up in the blanket of leaves she had fashioned for herself. Her breathing was slow and steady, her face soft in the stillness. It was hard to imagine that only days ago, the three of them had been part of a world that was so very different—one controlled by the System, where everything had its place, and nothing happened without a reason. But now, that world was gone. The code was gone. And they were left to figure out what came next.
Nova pushed herself up, rubbing her eyes. "Morning," she said, her voice rough with sleep.
Theo glanced up, offering her a small, knowing smile. "Morning. Didn't wake you, did I?"
She shook her head. "No, I was awake." Her eyes lingered on the fire, watching as the embers flickered in the early light. "Is it always this quiet?"
"Guess we'll get used to it," Theo replied, his tone unreadable as he continued his work. "The world's different now. No more alarms, no more systems telling us what to do."
"Yeah," Nova said, her voice almost a whisper. "It's… unsettling."
Theo didn't respond right away. He just kept working, his fingers moving in practiced motions. Nova couldn't tell if he was avoiding her question or if he, too, was just trying to get used to the new reality they were all waking up to. She knew it wasn't easy for him. It wasn't easy for any of them.
Ayen stirred, her eyes fluttering open as the sun's rays touched her face. She stretched and let out a soft sigh before sitting up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. For a moment, she said nothing, simply taking in the world around her, as though adjusting to the quiet, just like the rest of them.
"Morning," she said finally, her voice still thick with sleep.
"Morning," Nova and Theo said in unison, both of them offering her small smiles.
Ayen looked between them, sensing the shift in the air. "Everything okay?"
Nova hesitated before nodding. "Yeah. Just... I don't know. I'm starting to wonder if we're really doing the right thing."
Ayen studied her for a moment, her gaze steady. "What do you mean?"
Nova sighed, running a hand through her hair. "I don't know. I guess I thought we'd find something—someone—by now. But... there's nothing. It's just us, walking through a world that doesn't make sense. I'm starting to think maybe it never will."
Theo finally looked up from his knife, his eyes meeting hers. "We knew it wasn't going to be easy, Nova. There's no map. No guide. We have to make our own way."
"But what if we're walking in circles? What if there's nothing left?" Nova's voice caught in her throat, the weight of uncertainty pressing down on her chest. She didn't want to sound desperate, but she couldn't shake the feeling that they were lost—not just physically, but in every sense of the word.
Ayen was quiet for a moment, her expression unreadable. Then, she spoke, her voice soft but firm. "Maybe the point isn't about finding something. Maybe it's about what we build along the way. What we choose to create. What we become."
Theo nodded slowly, his gaze shifting between the two women. "She's right. We don't know what's out there, but we can't keep waiting for something to happen. We have to make something happen."
Nova looked down at her hands, flexing her fingers. For the first time, she felt the weight of her own choices pressing against her. There was no reset button to push. No system to fall back on. There was only them. Only what they could do, what they could build together.
"I guess that's all we can do," she said quietly.
Ayen smiled, her eyes softening. "That's all anyone can do."
The three of them sat in silence for a while, the fire crackling between them. The weight of the unknown hung heavy in the air, but it wasn't quite as suffocating as before. There was a quiet understanding between them now—a shared recognition that they were in this together. And maybe that was enough for now.
Theo stood, brushing the dirt from his pants. "We'll find something," he said, more to himself than anyone else. "It may take time. It may take a lot of time. But we'll find it."
Nova nodded, her heart feeling a little lighter. The path ahead was uncertain, but they would walk it together. And maybe that was the point.