In the middle of the forest, silence swallowed everything.
Adam stopped in his place, panting, trying to catch any trace of the sound he had heard just moments ago… but nothing.
His breathing grew heavier, his mind unsettled, as if his thoughts were slipping through his fingers.
Without knowing where to go, he began to move forward. The agitation was clear on his face, and his eyes darted quickly, searching for any sign.
Then—
The sound of heavy, steady footsteps pierced the quiet.
Adam backed away, slipping between the trees, trying to hide, but what he saw froze the blood in his veins:
Several "Organizers" moving in a line, carrying limp human bodies, he couldn't tell if they were alive or dead.
His heart pounded wildly.
Should he run? Or face them?
But… what good would fighting do when he had no weapon?
Thoughts clashed in his head, his face growing paler, the exhaustion from hunger and thirst choking his body.
And while fear and the urge to move forward battled inside him, he decided—without certainty—to take a step ahead.
He slowly raised his head, almost ready to shout…
But before his voice came out, a branch snapped behind him, and a hand clamped over his mouth from behind.
His heart jolted, but in an instant, he turned to see—
Everett.
Everett pressed a finger to his lips.
"Quiet."
A glimmer of hope and joy lit up in Adam's eyes, something he hadn't felt in a long time.
He spoke in a trembling voice, almost collapsing from exhaustion:
"Where… where were you?"
He put a hand to his head, trying to gather his thoughts, then words spilled out:
"What happened to Zeif? Did he make it? And why… why didn't you come sooner?"
Everett realized Adam wasn't fully conscious—the paleness and dryness were clearer than anything else—so he spoke in a steady tone:
"I've been searching for you since morning, and I didn't find anyone.
As for Zeif… he's between life and death now, and everything depends on the strength of his will."
Adam's expression dropped for a moment, then he spoke with restrained urgency:
"The Organizers… they're taking people somewhere!"
Everett glanced at them, then back at Adam, replying in a calm, chilling tone:
"From the way their bodies are limp, they're dead. It seems they want to scare us and drive us out, and we must not fall for it."
Adam's awareness slowly returned, and he asked:
"Is there a way out of here?"
Everett straightened up and answered:
"Follow me."
The two of them moved, Adam still glancing around for the Organizers, who had vanished.
After a short distance, they reached a motorcycle beside a tree, on the dirt path inside the forest.
Adam, in an oddly calm tone, said:
"Why did you turn off the lights and stop firing?"
Everett, without looking back, replied:
"I heard your scream and knew it was you. But I assumed someone was chasing you, so I stopped the bike and followed you on foot."
Then he put on his helmet and said with a sarcastic smile:
"Looks like you won't die from the war… but from falling without a helmet."
Adam gave a small smile, realizing he was trying to lighten the mood:
"Don't worry, I won't die before we take back the world."
They got on the bike.
But the moment the engine roared, a bullet tore through the air beside them.
The Organizers!
Everett sped forward, weaving in a zigzag between the trees to dodge the shots, until their sound faded away.
Adam, breathing heavily, said in a broken voice:
"It feels like something huge is on our shoulders… can we really do it?"
Everett stayed silent, so Adam continued:
"It doesn't matter if we can or not… we have to, even if it kills us."
A faint, proud smile formed under Everett's helmet, but Adam broke it with a defeated tone:
"But I couldn't die, Everett… when the end came, I ran… I was afraid."
Everett, in a steady voice:
"Sometimes… running is courage. You might save me one day, or save Lina or Zeif.
Your escape could mean life for someone else. Don't let your feelings break you… fight till the end, Adam."
Adam stayed silent, lost in thought.
Maybe he was right… maybe fighting wasn't about dying, but about living to stop others from dying.
Half an hour later, they reached a cave at the base of a hill.
They stopped the bike, and Everett covered it with foliage, then they exchanged a quick look.
Adam asked, impressed:
"Where did you get all this?"
Everett, finishing the cover, said:
"I was a soldier. I made places like this in case of the worst… but what we're living now is worse than any war."
Then he signaled for him to follow.
He opened a hidden entrance between the rocks, and they descended a narrow stairway. There, Lina was sleeping near the door to Zeif's room.
They didn't wake her, but went straight to the kitchen.
Hunger had gnawed at their bodies… they hadn't eaten in a full day.