Alecia sat on the one couch in the living room, quietly staring into space. Going back to that place felt like a waste of time and effort. Nothing could be found there but a deserted space of rubble and smell of ash, and she wouldn't want Diana nor Virgil to be in the same danger she had.Breaking away from her thoughts, she strode towards the bathroom and faced the sink, where she looked at her own reflection in the mirror. The glint of the scissors on the sink's rim caught her attention. She took the band off her hair, which hung down her upper back and over her shoulders, and let it loose.Alecia picked the scissors, took a chunk of her hair, and cut it.She stopped cutting, moments later; the small bin was now full of white hair. She adjusted her short hair and smiled as she made the last finishing touch, fringe no longer irritating her. Muffled voices coming from the hallway interrupted her from admiring her hair. Alecia moved towards the doorway to hear, and soon, she recognized

"Catch!" Virgil threw a bottle to her."Here you go," said Virgil as he threw another bottle to Diana. He took out the third bottle, uncapped it, and drank a bit."This time, we should drink slowly.""What now?" asked Diana as she scanned her eyes across the walls and looked outside. "When it gets dark, what should we do?"Virgil pointed at her with a tilt of his head and dug in his backpack. "What are you looking for?" Alecia gazed at his hands rummaging inside his backpack. He took out a small black column and pointed at her; with a click came a bright source of light beaming on Alecia's face."Please don't shine that on me," said Alecia, shielding her eyes. "It's bright, hey!" Virgil smiled and shone it at Diana who scolded at him to stop. He chuckled and turned it off."Charged by the sunlight." He looked at it in his hand, grinning. "From what little sunlight there is, anyway."Diana frowned. "That's your plan?""Do you have a better one?" Virgil looked at her as if his eyes s

"I was just thinking, on our way here from the last settlement, I spotted a small town. We should check there, too, don't you think?" asked Leah.Aven stood. "Good eye. Where did you see it exactly?" "North of the settlement." She stood as well. "Are we going there now?""The sooner we find her, the sooner we go home." He looked at her with a smile. "Well," she said, stepping to the edge. "Let's get to it, then."She slowly moved one foot over the edge, the sole of her boot brushing grains of sand off the the cliff. She leaned forward, leaped off the mountain, and fell as she watched the ground below slowly approached. Leah smirked as the wind resistance blew back her hair. "Always trying to impress, are we?" said Aven with a smile, leaping down the mountain and falling.While Leah continued to fall, transparent blue flames formed and spread from her head to her feet. She stopped falling and flew slowly with the wind. The familiar sound of an eagle echoed, and Leah spotted it in t

"Here's a place for you to sleep," Kellan said as she pulled the door open and entered into the room.Alecia was the first to step in. The room was larger than any room she had seen before. Six single steel beds stood against the cement wall. "You can choose whatever bed." Kellan grabbed the handle of the door and closed as the three stepped out. She walked with them further down the passage.Virgil sighed. "I appreciate what you and your father is doing, but we can't stay the night, we really need to be on our way."He took once glance behind him."I understand that," Kellan said with a reasonable tone. "I'm sorry, but you can't leave today."They turned a corner, entering into a place where people were seated near steel tables. Their clothing was all rotten and dull, small holes in their clothes. They were far too busy with their exchange of words, unaware of the visitors. Alecia scanned across the room, looking at each of them, intrigued."I don't really understand why we should s

Alecia stood, locking eyes on Virgil. Just then, Joel's voice echoed as he called Kellan's name from down the passage."Where is she?" Joel said in panic as he entered the room.Alecia stepped to the side, closing her eyes."No!" he cried out with a look of despair in his eyes. He walked passed Alecia, eyes drawn to the floor. "Kellan?" he muttered, lips trembling.Joel dropped to his knees and placed his hands on both sides of her face, looking into Kellan's lifeless eyes."No. . ." He began to cry uncontrollably as he sat her up and wrapped his arms around her."Don't worry, I'm here. Daddy's here now," he murmured, crying while rocking back and forth. He cried over his daughter's shoulder, his cries muffled by her hair. "Tell me, what happened?" Virgil asked quietly while looking at Alecia. She opened her eyes and looked at Virgil, her pupils still glowing. "Did you do this?" he said with a stern look. "Or was it them?"He stepped forward. Alecia drew her blade to him, slight