Lena's shoulders slumped. Her gaze fell on the embers glowing at the fire's heart.

"I know."

The words were hard to swallow, as much as it was the truth they conveyed. She turned looked at the fire, as if it held the solution to all her problems.

She sighed.

"You know, Reidar. He wasn't some manipulative person you knew. He was a good man… He… he was a father to me."

"I know; you told me he was your father's best friend and that he took care of you and your mother."

"And my sister…"

A log shifted, sending a shower of orange sparks into the air.

"He never wanted to lead Havenwood. He was a park ranger. He knew the dam and the woods. When everything collapsed, people just… looked to him. He didn't want the responsibility, but he couldn't refuse it. He had no choice."

Her voice grew thick.

"What he did… the lies, banishing you… it was always for them. For the people. To keep them from falling apart, from dying, and to give them a reason to keep going. He was a good man."

Reidar watched the firelight trace the lines of grief on her face. He saw not the ruthless scout but the daughter who had lost her last anchor. He gave a slow nod.

However, what she said made her think about Torren and Lysa for some reason. Lena took a long, shuddering breath, her composure returning like a mask being lowered, and then, as if she was reading her mind, she said something.

"Torren was my sister's boyfriend. His family was in one of the big cities when it happened. They were all gone. After the world changed, Martin and I… we were the only piece of home he had left. We were his family."

She stared past the fire, into the deep woods, a flicker of an old memory in her eyes.

Reidar wanted to know how she was able to know what questions he had in mind, but he realized it must have been her trait. While it didn't allow her to read minds, it gave her an understanding of the creature she was dealing with, and in this case, it was a human. Lena could sense what he wanted to know, so she simply gave answers.

"Lysa was different. Her town was just… gone when the apocalypse ended. Vanished during the terraforming. She wandered into our territory alone, already at a high level and silent as a shade. I never asked what horrors she saw. I didn't have to because I saw the same horrors."

She paused, and a sad smile touched her lips.

"We just clicked. It was easy to be with someone who didn't need words to understand."

Reidar turned the meat one last time, then pulled it from the fire. He tore off a piece and bit down. The taste was gamey and strange, but edible. He chewed and swallowed it.

"I get it."

Reidar placed the stick beside the fire and leaned back against the rough bark of the log, feeling its coolness seep through his clothes. He let out a sigh.

Reidar's gaze drifted upward, to the shining stars, as if seeking answers among the constellations was the only thing he could do, but his mind remained grounded in the worries that had led him to this moment.

"I'm looking for my family. My wife, Martha. My son, Marcus. They were in Kingsgate when everything went down to hell. I don't know if they're alive. I don't know if they made it through the first day. But I have to find out."

"Then why are we heading to Creamont? Didn't you say it was because of your parents?"

"That too." He said nothing about his wife and son in the past.

Lena studied him, her expression unreadable. Then she gave a quick nod.

"So we're both hunting something. You want your family. I want Silas dead."

"That's about right, in a weird way, of course."

She picked at the meat, her jaw working as she thought.

"So we help each other. I will guide you to Creamont and come with you to Kingsgate. You help me kill Silas and Jorik when the time comes."

Reidar extended his hand across the fire. Lena looked at it, then clasped it.

"Deal."

They released, and the silence returned. The fire crackled.

"So, what about what Morv'axil said?"

"When he said help was coming?"

She nodded. Reidar frowned, stirring the embers with a stick.

"To tell you the truth, I've been thinking about that. He's not from Earth. He's from one of the Allied worlds. If he's talking about help, it means someone else is coming from there. Maybe soldiers, mages. People from worlds that survived the integration."

"Do you really think the progenitor is this big of a threat? If Morv'axil was that high level, what about the others, the ones who are actual soldiers? Wouldn't they be level 500 at least?" She asked.

"Most likely," Reidar said. "Help is surely on its way here. If not to save us humans, at least to get the resources that earth has. A new world joining their alliance would mean resources, territory, and people."

He shrugged.

"Morv'axil seemed neutral. At least this is what I think given the fact he didn't kill the progenitor despite he could. But that doesn't mean everyone will be. We don't know their real agenda, and being stronger than us, it might mean they will try to control us." Her expression darkened and pulled her knees up, resting her chin on them.

"I'm more worried about the monsters, if I have to be honest. If they are really getting stronger... It will be catastrophic"

Reidar nodded.

"Yeah. The jumps in levels are too fast." Reidar stared into the flames. However, Reidar was having some thoughts.

"What if the monster progression is related to what Morv'axil said? Maybe the allied worlds are already here, and they are doing something that is affecting the monsters."

"It might be possible, but I can't tell for sure," Lena said. "It is a little weird that Morv'axil called for help and the monsters are getting stronger. It feels too coincidental."

"So where do we go from here?" he asked. "I would say that we should make contact with these guys. They might be able to give us help, or intel about the church. The best thing would be to head to all towns we come across, because there are high chances they have already established contact with other people."

Reidar nodded. "So, what is the first town you suggest we visit?"

"Loden. It's a town between here and Creamont. Before the cataclysm, it was less than a two hour travel from the city. Now? A month, maybe more, depending on what the terrain looks like."

"Why Loden?"

"Because it's the closest place that can have people. Their population was rather high back then, and we need rest. Real rest. There are buildings there, beds, and walls. We can sleep without one eye open if we hide well enough. If we push straight for Creamont without stopping, we'll be exhausted before we get there, and we don't know how the situation there is."

"That's if both Loden and Creamont are still standing," Reidar said.

"True. But it's our best shot anyway. It was a decent-sized town. If anyone survived, they'll be there."

Reidar nodded.

"Alright. We head for Loden."

Lena picked up her dagger, running a whetstone along the edge.

"Get some sleep, Reidar. I'll take first watch."

He didn't argue. He stretched out on his bedroll, pulling his cloak tight against the cold. As his eyes closed, one thought lingered. He had to believe his family was still out there.

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