Volume 4 – Chapter 10: East of Hope

Date: September 16

Last 15 Days. 

The morning sun had long since risen.

It had all begun with a quick scribble of notes on a map, coordinates now barely audible through static noises, with hearts beating too fast to hear calm. Kaito, Rika, and Kanna, the three of them, held the little table in their cabin at the heart, while the radio between them kept humming a fading transmission whisper.

"Kanna gave them east on the map and says: Somewhere over the ridge, near the collapsed observatory."

"That's...almost a full day's walk," Rika countered.

"And longer if the bridges are out." Kaito added.

"Then we should leave now?" Kanna looked from one to the other.

No argument. No fear. Just a quiet rush of purpose.

By midday, they were packed and ready to go. The boots were tightened. The way was treacherous from being chipped away by many months of neglect. Roots had eaten the entire road away. Signs and everything faded into oblivion. But still, they trudged on.

Rika was in the lead today, her hair up, her eyes searching the trees as if she could see beyond them. Kaito closely followed behind and was full of unasked questions in his mind. And Kanna? She lagged behind just a bit, but not out of hesitation.

She was watching.

Watching how they moved. Watching how they exchanged glances. Watching how every step towards their goal seemed that much more in sync without any conscious effort from the two in front.

"You think they really are alive?" Kanna asked suddenly.

"I do," Rika said without looking back, "and I want to."

"But what if it is a trap? An old recording left behind by somebody months ago?"

Kaito spoke at that moment. "Then we'll know we tried."

Time passed. The sun was sinking behind them. Just before night made everything disappear, they reached the ridge.

The observatory stood brokenly on the crown of the hill.

And then they saw the smoke.

Thin. Rising. Controlled.

Kanna froze. "That..." she stammered, "is not from an old fire."

Rika whispered, "That's from right now."

They walked slowly; no longer running as though they were trying to catch up to a dream that felt too fragile to even touch.

Then, from behind the ruins of a wall, a voice spoke up:

"...You are real?"

They all froze.

And in that moment, and just for that moment, it didn't feel like the world was ending.