Chapter 2: The Grey Zones Begin.

They had been walking for two hours.

The moon hung high above them, a pale silver coin casting enough light to navigate the muddy, dried-out dirt road. The cool night air carried the scent of damp earth and pine. In the trees lining the path, crickets chirped a relentless rhythm, accompanied by the occasional, haunting hoot of a distant owl.

They were far past the borders of their own village now. This was the furthest any of them had ever been from home.

Elio led the way, his boots crunching softly against the gravel. Lio walked in the middle, his eyes scanning the dark tree line. Alan brought up the rear, his movements sluggish.

"Lio," Elio called back, keeping his voice low. "How far are we from the closest village?"

Lio adjusted his glasses, his mind calculating the distance and their walking speed. He glanced up at the position of the moon to estimate the time. "We are near Glanow village. Maybe ten to twenty kilometers. Why are you asking?"

"Because we might need to rest," Elio replied, glancing over his shoulder. "Look at Alan. He looks like a zombie already."

Lio turned his head. Alan was swaying left and right, his eyes barely open, his feet dragging through the dirt. Lio let out a long, weary sigh. "Alright, fine. I just hope there is an inn we can stay in for the night."

Elio chuckled softly. "Yeah, let's hope so. Or else we will have to carry Alan's body."

Lio laughed, the sound quiet in the dark.

Alan just muttered, his voice thick with exhaustion, "What the hell are you guys talking about?"

Elio smiled. "Nothing, dude. Let's just try to get to the next village, okay? Then we will take a rest there for a while."

Alan sighed, a heavy sound of pure relief. "Finally, some rest."

Lio smirked, adjusting his glasses. "We have only been walking eight point nine kilometers, you idiot."

Alan's eyes snapped open, a spark of his usual energy returning. "HEY! Eight point nine kilometers from home, you mean!"

Lio went quiet. Elio went quiet.

They walked in silence for a moment, the reality of the distance settling in. Then, Elio spoke, his voice softer. "Alan, Lio... you guys didn't have to come, you know? I would have been fine. Besides, this is my mission anyway."

Alan and Lio answered in perfect unison. "Yeah, that isn't happening."

Alan picked up his pace, walking closer to Elio. "Look, you are my childhood friend. You are like a brother to me, and to Lio. When a brother needs help, we come to help. You are in need of help, so we are helping you."

Elio listened. A warm smile crossed his face, and he let out a quiet scoff. "Damn. We are all stubborn, aren't we?"

Lio laughed from behind them. "Heck yeah, we are."

They continued their trek. The moonlight filtered through the gaps in the tree branches, painting shifting patterns on the ground. The wind picked up, swaying the branches and rustling the leaves. The cool air washed over them, easing the sweat on their skin.

Lio pulled a metal bottle from his pocket, unscrewed the cap, and took a long drink of water before passing it to Alan.

As they walked, they passed a small, ramshackle building at the edge of the road. It was an old ramen shop, the wooden sign faded and splintered, but a warm, yellow light glowed from inside. Through the window, an elderly woman was slowly wiping down a counter.

Elio stopped walking.

Lio and Alan halted behind him, nearly bumping into his back. "Elio, why did you stop?" Lio asked.

Elio pointed at the shop. Lio and Alan looked. They saw the old woman, working alone in the late hour.

Lio sighed, stepping beside Elio. "Look, Elio. I know you want to help her. You always want to help everyone. But we have limited money. We have to keep going. I am sorry, man. I know you really want to help her, but we have our own problems to worry about right now."

Elio stared at the shop for a moment longer. The guilt settled heavy in his chest. He wanted to at least buy a bowl of ramen, to give the old woman some business. But he thought of his wallet, of the long journey ahead, of Luna. He nodded slowly. "Yeah. You're right."

They continued walking, leaving the warm light of the ramen shop behind them in the dark.

After another long stretch of walking, the dark silhouette of Glanow village appeared on the horizon. Like most settlements built after the war, it was surrounded by a high, brick wall. The village entrance was a heavy iron gate, left slightly open, with two elderly men standing guard outside.

Elio saw the guards and slowed his pace, turning to Lio. "Are we going to get into trouble? Since we are, you know, just kids?"

"No, we won't get into trouble," Lio replied confidently. "We just have to say we are kids from a neighboring village traveling far for an interview. They will let us in. We are just normal kids."

Elio hesitated, glancing at Alan. Alan's face was slack with exhaustion, his body trembling slightly. Elio nodded at Lio and turned back toward the gate.

They approached the guards. One of them, an older man with a weathered face, held up a hand. "Hold it. What are you kids doing out here? It's late."

Elio stepped forward, his posture straight, his voice calm but firm. "My business is my own. I cannot tell you much information. But we have a long journey ahead for a very important interview with a client. We need to seek shelter and rest here temporarily."

The guard studied Elio for a long, intense moment. Then, his expression softened. "Alright, kid. You can come in. Sorry about that, didn't mean to offend you or anything. Head straight in, about twenty meters down the road, you will find an inn. They have good rooms for the night."

Elio bowed his head respectfully. "Thank you very much for the information. We appreciate it."

They walked through the iron gate. The streets of Glanow were dark, the streetlights flickering weakly, barely able to stay on. The air was colder here. Just as they passed the first row of houses, a light, freezing rain began to fall, pattering softly against the cobblestones.

They hurried down the street and found the inn. It was a two-story wooden building with a sign that read Komfortowy Pobyt Inn. They pushed open the heavy wooden gate and stepped inside.

The lobby was small but warm. Candles flickered on the counter, and a single electric lantern hung from the ceiling. A young woman stood behind the desk, a kind smile on her face.

"Hi, how may I help you today?" she asked.

Elio walked to the counter, brushing a drop of rain from his shoulder. "How much for the night, including breakfast?"

"That would be fifteen pounds per person, plus the breakfast," she said.

Elio pulled out his wallet. He counted out forty-five pounds for the three of them, handing it over. His wallet was noticeably lighter now. "What do you have for breakfast?" he asked.

The young woman smiled. "We are serving scrambled eggs with chives, warm oat porridge drizzled with honey, fresh bread with butter and fruit preserves, and hot tea."

Elio nodded, satisfied. The woman handed him a single iron key. Elio looked at it, confused. "Why is there only one key?"

She smiled warmly. "I gave you a room with three beds. It is our family suite."

Elio smiled back. "Thanks."

"You're welcome. We hope you enjoy your stay."

Elio turned to Lio and Alan, nodding toward the staircase. They walked up to the second floor, their boots heavy on the wood, and found their room. The number *2/13* was painted on the door. Elio unlocked it and pushed it open.

The room was small but clean. Three single beds were pushed against the walls. Alan immediately pushed past Lio and Elio, launching himself onto the nearest bed. He let out a massive sigh of relief. "Finally, some rest."

Elio and Lio sighed in unison. They dropped their heavy backpacks on the floor, took off their wet jackets, and draped them over the small wooden table in the corner. Lio collapsed onto his bed, closing his eyes immediately.

Elio sat on the edge of his bed. He stared up at the ceiling, at the faint, faded patterns drawn on the wood. The rain outside grew heavier, drumming against the roof. Thunder rumbled in the distance.

"Are we going to be safe..." Elio muttered to himself.

He sighed, pushing the thought away, and lay back. He stared at the ceiling until his eyelids grew heavy, and slowly, the world faded to black.

The thunder outside grew louder. The rain fell in sheets.

Elio was dreaming.

He felt a deep, aching yearning to hold the hand of someone close to him. He was lying on a bed. A figure hovered above him, bathed in a soft, golden-white light. He couldn't see her face, nor the details of her body, but he knew it was her. He reached up slowly, his fingers brushing against hers. He curled his hand around hers, his heart swelling as he moved to intertwine their fingers.

But the moment he closed his hand, she disappeared.

The dream shifted. The warmth vanished.

He was standing in a field of grass. The sky was a bruised, light red and gray. The field was on fire, smoke choking the air. Elio looked down at his hands. They were covered in blood. His clothes had changed. He was wearing the dark, heavy uniform of a Salvon soldier. On the ground to his right lay a Salvon assault rifle.

Panic seized him. He scrambled backward, his foot catching on something solid. He yelped as he collapsed, looking up at what he had tripped over.

It was a body.

Slowly, his eyes moved from the torso up to the face. Elio's eyes widened. Pure horror washed over him.

It was Lio.

Blood spilled from the corners of Lio's mouth. His eyes were bulging, his face crushed on one side, the bone shattered.

Elio opened his mouth to scream, but no sound came out. He scrambled to his feet and ran. He ran blindly through the burning field. He saw people impaled on wooden poles, their bodies mutilated, their heads shot.

He stopped running.

Ahead of him stood a dark figure, surrounded by Salvon soldiers holding rifles. The dark figure was tall, his face obscured by shadows. Below the figure lay Luna. Her body was limp, her silver hair spread across the ash-covered grass. Elio couldn't tell if she was alive or dead. He could only see her torso.

This time, Elio screamed. A loud, piercing wail of agony that tore through the dream. He ran toward the dark figure, ready to tear him apart, but the ground gave way beneath him.

Elio fell.

He hit the floor of the inn room with a hard thud.

"Hey! Man, you okay?!"

Lio was kneeling beside him, his hands on Elio's shoulders, shaking him awake. Elio's eyes snapped open. He was drenched in sweat, his chest heaving as he gasped for air. He looked up at Lio, his eyes wide with terror.

"Elio! You were screaming!" Lio said, his voice tight with worry.

Elio stared at Lio's face, the image of Lio's crushed, bloody face still burned into his mind. He took a deep, shaky breath, trying to calm his pounding heart. "Sorry about that," he rasped. "My fault. I was just... having a rough dream."

Lio looked over at Alan, who was sitting up in his bed, looking scared. Lio looked back at Elio. "It's okay. You have been through a lot these last few days. It's understandable." He paused, looking toward the window where the morning sun was fighting through the rain clouds. "Hey, the sun is up. Time for breakfast."

Elio nodded, still staring down at the wooden floorboards.

A short while later, they walked down the stairs. Elio led the way, with Lio in the middle and Alan in the back, scratching his messy brown hair. They walked into the dining hall. It was surprisingly crowded, filled with travelers and villagers.

Elio, Lio, and Alan grabbed wooden trays and moved down the buffet line. They scooped up scrambled eggs with chives, ladled warm oat porridge into bowls, and grabbed thick slices of fresh bread with butter and berry preserves. Alan grabbed a large glass of milk.

They walked through the crowded hall, looking for a table. Elio spotted an empty square table with four chairs in the back. But just as they started walking toward it, a group of four teenagers, older than them by a few years, swooped in and took the seats.

There were three boys and one girl. They were laughing loudly. They looked like trouble.

Elio sighed. He didn't want to start a fight on their first morning on the road. He turned to look for another table.

But before he could speak to Lio and Alan, Alan marched right up to the table and slammed his tray down.

"We were coming to this table before you guys took it," Alan said, his voice hard.

The four teenagers looked at each other. Elio and Lio held their breath, expecting a brawl.

Instead, the oldest boy, tall and strong, chuckled. "We didn't know. We are sorry. Do you want to sit with us?"

Elio looked at Lio, completely baffled. Alan's face scrunched up in confusion, his voice cracking. "What...?"

The older boy smiled. "She said, would you like to sit with us? We are friendly, don't worry."

Another boy, one of the twins, smirked. "What, we look like some weird gangsters? Is that why you are surprised we responded nicely?"

Alan gave a small, hesitant nod, confirming it.

Elio and Lio walked up beside Alan. Elio looked at the older boy. "Good morning."

The boy nodded respectfully. "Morning."

Elio bowed his head slightly. "I apologize for my friend's behavior. We had a rough night."

"No worries, we understand," the boy said.

Elio walked to an empty table nearby, grabbed a free chair, and dragged it over. Lio did the same. Now, all seven of them were seated around the table.

"My name is Elio. Elio Joshua," Elio said.

The older boy nodded. "My name is Rosal Ficherd. This is my brother, Fiod, and my other brother, Fial. They are twins. And this is our little sister, Mia."

Elio nodded respectfully at the twins, but when he looked at Mia, he quickly lowered his gaze. The four siblings looked confused.

"I'm Alan," Alan said, already stuffing a piece of bread into his mouth. "And that's Lio. He's the smart one."

Lio adjusted his glasses. "Pleasure to meet you."

As they ate, Rosal spoke up. "So what brought you here? Or are you just passing through?"

Elio swallowed a mouthful of warm bread and eggs. "We are just passing by," he said.

Rosal nodded. "Alright. It must be very important, since you three are pretty young to be traveling alone."

Elio nodded, but didn't elaborate.

Mia, the girl, leaned forward. "How far is this place that you are going?"

Elio turned to her, but kept his eyes lowered. "I can't tell you specifically, but it is very far."

Mia frowned, irritated. "Why do you keep lowering your face and eyes! Am I that ugly?!"

Elio remained calm. "No, that's not it. I am lowering my gaze because it is a respectful thing to do. I cannot look at a girl directly. That is what I have learned recently from my family."

Mia's irritation faded into surprise. "That's weird. That's not normal."

Elio smiled slightly. "It may be weird for others, but it is a respectful thing to do as a man. Or being mature as I grow up to be one."

Mia and her brothers' eyes widened slightly. A hint of respect crossed their faces. They continued eating in silence.

Once they finished, Elio stood up, taking his tray. Lio and Alan followed suit. "It was nice to meet you guys, and it was a good chat. Thanks for being nice to us," Elio said. He bowed his head respectfully, and Lio and Alan did the same.

As they walked away, Mia turned her head, following them with her eyes. Rosal smirked. "What are you looking at, little sis?"

Mia panicked. "I was just looking at them! They look suspicious and different from other people."

Rosal smiled, closing his eyes. "They were raised the right way, I guess."

The twins spoke in unison. "Yeah, raised right for sure."

Back in room 2/13, the early morning sunlight streamed through the window, catching the leftover raindrops on the glass.

Elio pulled on his black jacket with the light orange lining. He zipped it all the way up to his neck. He pulled the hood over his head and pulled the mask attached to the jacket up over his nose, leaving only his eyes visible. Alan put on his jacket, gray with a light cyan inside, and did the same. Lio pulled on his dark gray jacket with the light blue lining, securing his mask.

They hoisted their heavy backpacks onto their shoulders.

"Alright," Elio said, his voice muffled slightly by the mask. "Ready for a really damn long walk?"

Alan gave a thumbs up. "Heck yeah, we are."

Lio sighed. "Yeah. Let's go make our legs beg to be cut off."

Elio scoffed. He turned and opened the door.

They walked down the stairs. When they reached the lobby, they saw Rosal, Fiod, Fial, and Mia at the counter, returning their keys. The four siblings looked at the masked boys, completely confused and shocked. They had no idea these were the same boys they had just eaten breakfast with.

Elio didn't care. He walked up to the counter and placed the key down. "Thanks for your hospitality," he said, his voice muffled by the mask.

He turned and walked past the siblings, heading for the wooden gate. Lio and Alan followed close behind.

They stepped out onto the street. The villagers stared at them as they passed. Children whispered, pointing at the masked strangers. The morning sun reflected off the puddles on the ground. Lio accidentally stepped in one, splashing muddy water onto the cobblestones.

As they walked, a tiny girl, no older than two, wandered away from her front porch and walked right up to Elio. She looked up at him with wide, innocent eyes.

"You look cool, mister," she said.

Elio's eyes widened behind the mask. He didn't think they looked cool.

A woman rushed out of the house, grabbing the little girl. "Lila! I told you not to walk up to strangers!"

Elio looked at the woman, and then at the little girl. He felt a sharp pang in his chest. He and Luna had talked about having children. They had planned for a family. He shook his head slightly, forcing himself to focus.

"I apologize for scaring anyone," Elio said, bowing respectfully to the woman. "That is not my intention. I have to cover up my face due to an allergy."

It was a lie, of course. They needed to hide their faces from now on. They were fugitives on the road to Salvon.

Elio, Lio, and Alan walked past the woman and the child, moving through the rest of the village until they finally passed the iron gates and stepped out onto the open road.

"So, what is our next stop, genius?" Elio asked.

Lio stopped and pulled off his backpack. "Let me see the map, Elio."

Elio turned, unzipped his bag, and pulled out the paper map Moran had given him. He handed it to Lio, who laid it out on a relatively dry patch of grass.

"We are here, at Glanow," Lio said, pointing to a spot on the map. "We need to walk the right path. Our next stop should be Mierzecice Osiedle. There is an old abandoned airport there. The HAIUs destroyed most of it during the war. That's what the history books say."

Elio looked surprised. "They wrote that in the history books?"

Lio frowned. "What do you think, idiot? That war killed seven point seven billion people."

Lio sighed, folded the map, and handed it back to Elio. Elio tucked it away, zipped his bag, and hoisted it back onto his shoulders. "Alright. Lio, this time, you lead the way."

Lio sighed, stepping to the front. "Alright, fine."

Lio started walking north, his figure small against the vast, ruined landscape. Elio and Alan fell into step behind him.

Sooner or later, they would find out what happened to that airport after the war. They weren't expecting anything out of the ordinary.

But something not good was waiting for them there.