The Village of "Peace"

The forest was still. Not silent, but full of that subtle wilderness hum. Haruto lay beneath a thin canopy of twisted branches, eyes half-lidded and unfocused. Asahi sat nearby, checking Ren’s temperature. The boy was still asleep, but his breathing was even. For now, that was enough.

Haruto stirred only when the crackle of firewood gave way to Asahi’s voice. “We need to move tomorrow,” he said, not expecting an answer. “If there’s anything nearby, people, structures, or the Archivists’ shelter, we’ll find it faster if we start early.”

Haruto’s fingers curled slowly around the blanket draped over his shoulders. Asahi didn’t look at him when he added, “I don’t know if you’re still in there, Haruto. You haven’t answered a single one of my questions. But we’ll need you when we reach what’s next.”

Haruto blinked, his eyes heavy as he stared into the fire. Asahi’s words seemed distant and meaningless. But then something inside him stirred, a sharp piece of emotion that couldn’t be ignored.

Yukawa.

He had manipulated Haruto, twisted his life, played him like a pawn in his cruel game. His sister, Akane – her death was just the beginning. The lies, the betrayal, the years of suffering at his hands. Kurosawa, Kusaragi, Emi – each of them had been victims of him.

You’re not done yet, Haruto.

The thought whispered again. It wasn’t just a faint reminder. It was a call. A demand.

Haruto’s body tensed as the fire in his chest flared. He had been empty, broken. But now, there was something different. He had a reason to fight. A reason to keep going. For the last time.

By the time the morning light broke through the thick canopy, Haruto was still awake, though he hadn’t slept much. He stood up slowly, his body still stiff from the previous night.

“Haruto,” Asahi said, turning to look at him as the first rays of sunlight hit his face. There was a strange mix of concern and determination in his expression. “We need to keep moving. After all, wasn’t it you who started this journey?”

Haruto didn’t respond immediately. He simply walked past Asahi. He wasn’t sure where they were going. But something told him that staying here, frozen in place, wasn’t an option.

“Let’s go. We still need to find the ‘safe haven’ she mentioned,” he said in a low voice as he began walking, as though guided by instinct. Asahi quickly packed up everything and followed behind, carrying the still asleep Ren on his back.

They walked for hours. The landscape shifted from thick forest to lighter woods. The trees thinned as they moved through uneven terrain. On their way, they could sense the faint scent of wood burning, mingled with the earthly air.

Ren stirred before finally waking up with a low groan. His eyes fluttered open and for a moment, he seemed disorientated. Haruto glanced at him, but Ren’s gaze didn’t meet his. Instead the boy looked past him, towards something.

Asahi put Ren down and placed a hand on his shoulder gently. “You’re awake,” he said. “How are you feeling?”

Ren nodded slightly, blinking at the bright sunlight. He rubbed his eyes, still groggy.

He tugged at Asahi’s sleeve, pointing silently through the thinning woods. Asahi squinted, following the line of Ren’s finger, and there, nestled against the wild hills, smoke curled lazily into the sky, was a village.

The homes were simple, crafted from wood and stone. Their chimneys sent thin plumes of smoke into the sky. The village seemed untouched by the chaos that had torn the world apart.

As they slowly approached the outskirts of the village, they spotted a woman in the distance, who had already seen the trio.

She was a young woman in her 20s. She drew near the trio and smiled warmly with a welcoming expression on her face. “You’ve come from beyond the woods?” she asked.

Asahi nodded slowly. “Yes, we have.”

The woman’s smile widened. “Then you’ve come far,” she said. “You must be tired. Come. Rest here.”

The trio exchanged brief, uncertain glances, but were too exhausted to argue. There was a silent understanding between them: if it was a trap, they’d face it together.

Haruto gave a small nod. Asahi took Ren’s arm gently. And together, they stepped forward.

“I’m Yume,” the girl said, leading them through the village. “You’re safe now.”

Asahi offered a cautious smile. “I’m Asahi. This is Ren… and Haruto.”

The people walking the streets seemed normal, calm even. They were going about their day as if nothing had changed. A few of them even smiled at the trio as they walked through the village.

They followed the woman to one of the cottages at the edge of the village. Inside, the air smelled of herbs and woodsmoke. A fire crackled in the hearth. It was simple, but warm and comforting.

Asahi was the first to speak. “This place… it doesn’t seem like the rest of the world. How is it still standing?”

The woman set a pot down on the table. “We’ve been here for a long time,” she said. “Some of us know what happened, and some of us are waiting. We’ve learned to survive, even when everything else crumbed.”

Haruto stood silently by the door, feeling out of place in this strange moment of peace.

The woman excused herself to fetch some tea from the kitchen, leaving the three of them alone.

As soon as her footsteps faded down the hall, Haruto turned to Asahi.

“Are you sure this place is safe?” he asked. “Place like this… they usually end up robbing or killing their guests.”

Asahi chuckled under his breath. “What, are you scared of a bunch of old farmers now?” he teased. “Relax. If they wanted us dead, we’d already be buried out back. Besides, we’ve faced more dangerous situations than this.”

Haruto didn’t respond immediately. A part of him remained tense and suspicious. But another tried to argue, to let it go, if only for now.

Moments later, the woman returned, carrying a tray with chipped teacups and a steaming pot. She set it down with a smile and passed it around.

After she had finished distributing, she sat down with a cup of her own. Her smile faltered. She leaned closer.

“…You’re here to take back, aren’t you?”

Her eyes flicked between Haruto and Asahi.

“Yukawa finally sent someone huh?”