chapter 15: footsteps back to the past
the sun climbed higher, casting longer shadows as ren stood from the small wooden stool.
"maya," he called softly, "can i walk alone for a bit?"
maya looked up from the small fire she was tending, her eyes calm but curious. "sure. what is it?"
ren hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "i just need to... think. maybe find something."
"okay," maya said, offering a small smile. "be careful."
with that, ren stepped out of the hut, the cool morning air greeting him. the dirt path beneath his feet was uneven and familiar—the same path where he had woken up, confused and bruised.
his steps were slow, measured. each footfall echoed in his mind as he approached the spot where he had been left, abandoned on the road.
the memories teased him—fragments of shadowy figures, flashes of pain, a strange sense of erasure. he knelt down, touching the cold earth.
"why here?" he whispered to himself. "why me?"
the wind stirred the leaves around him, whispering secrets he couldn't quite catch. he scanned the area carefully—any clue, any sign that might explain the attack or who was behind it.
yet the place seemed empty, peaceful even, betraying the violence that had brought him here.
ren's pride flared inside. "i won't let this break me. whoever did this... i'll find them."
but beneath that pride was a growing unease. questions that begged for answers, and a shadow creeping closer to his fractured mind.
the path back to maya's hut seemed longer now, but ren's steps were firmer. the journey ahead was uncertain, but he was ready to face it—alone, if he had to.