The winter sun hung low in the sky, casting long shadows across the small cemetery under the shadow of the fort’s walls. There were several funerals taking place at once, each one a subdued affair with a few close family members and friends standing around plain wooden coffins. They were scattered far enough apart that the mourners had their own space to weep, but close enough that they could see they weren’t the only ones suffering.

Evie's face was devoid of expression, her eyes unblinking, as she fixed them on the dark wood separating her mom’s broken body from the world. The casket was adorned with a few wildflowers, their bright colors a stark contrast to the gray February sky. There had been no service, no words said. What was there to say? Prayers to a god that had clearly forsaken them? Celebrations of a life well lived?

A few wellwishers, neighbors and friends of her mom’s mostly, stopped by to give their condolences and Evie nodded in thanks each time, but her heart felt black and empty. Mia and Derek stood several paces behind her, huddled together against the cold, wrapped in heavy coats murmuring to each other. Occasionally one of them would shoot a worried glance at her and she pretended not to notice.

Eventually, though Evie did not know whether it had been minutes or hours since the coffin had been lowered into the earth, she heard hesitant footsteps approaching. Neither of them tried to comfort her – they all understood loss. It was part of their lives and they had all experienced it again and again. But that did not make the experience any easier to bear or to relate to. Instead they each hugged her, ignoring the way her body dangled limply in their arms, and made their exits.

“You know where to find us when you need us.”

And that was all. The sun continued its slow descent in the sky, the light dimming as shadows grew longer and the chill in the air deepened. Evie stood alone, motionless, her eyes never leaving the patch of broken dirt that covered the only family she had ever known. She stood there, unmoving, letting the wind blow through her and the cold seep into her skin.

When she first heard the voice behind her, she ignored it, thinking it a trick of the wind or another well wisher coming to leave sympathy as ephemeral as the flowers they carried in their hands. Then the person cleared their throat and spoke again.

“Ms. Ivans.”

The voice was hesitant, awkward, a poor fit for its owner. Because it was familiar too. Evie turned her head slightly in the woman’s direction, and was surprised when her eyes confirmed what her ears had picked up. Captain Langford stood behind her, uniform covered by a heavy leather coat and holding a small white envelope in one hand. Her surprise was fleeting, however, quickly overcome by disinterest, and when she responded her voice was void of emotion.

“Captain Langford. What brings you here? Did you know my mother?”

“Only briefly… I’ve met most of my student’s caregivers at least once or twice, but your mother and I didn’t have the opportunity to speak for long after you started high school.”

The teacher stopped talking, seeming to expect Evie to respond, but Evie’s eyes were vacant, staring off into the distance beyond her teacher. For a long moment, the only sound was the wind whipping against the branches and the dirt crumbling softly under their shoes. Then the teacher cleared her throat again and continued, holding out the envelope in her hand.

“However… Your mother came by the school a year ago to give us this. Said to give it to you if anything should happen to her.”

Evie’s heart skipped a beat as she reached out and touched the letter, letting the paper slide between the fingers of her gloves. The gusts of wind mixed with the pounding of her heart until it felt like there was a river of blood flowing through her ears. When she responded, she could barely hear the words coming from her own mouth.

“I see… Is that all?”

Captain Langford sized her up and down, the scar on her cheek puckering as her lips soundlessly opened and closed. Eventually, she seemed to give an internal shrug and placed a hand on Evie’s shoulder

“I’m sorry for your loss. She seemed like an incredible woman. From the way you described her anyway.”

With that, she turned and walked away, leaving Evie standing alone once more.

***

Once home, Evie shed her coat and gloves mechanically, her movements slow and clumsy. The house felt unnaturally silent, cold and dead without the missing heartbeat that once filled its rooms with warmth and life. The kitchen table was still splintered and there was a big hole in the floor where it had been. Many spots on the walls were broken and the wind cut through the gaps so that the inside of the house was as frigid as the air outside.

With a deep breath, she sat down on the sofa, and stared down at the letter in her hands. She ached to open it, but also knew that these were the last words her mother would ever say to her. Once the letter was opened and read, that was it. No more conversations, no more words, no more moments together.

After what felt like hours of staring down at the letter, the lamplight dancing across her name written in cursive on the envelope, Eva Victoria, she finally mustered the courage to open it. With shaking fingers, she ripped open the seal and unfolded the paper. It was a single page, written in her mother’s neat, precise handwriting.

***

My Dearest Evie,

If you’re reading this letter, then the inevitable has happened and I’ve finally succumbed to the Virus tearing through my blood. These last months have been heart-rending; not just for the pain or sickness I felt, but more so for seeing the effect it had on you. I’ve wanted so many times to cling to the memories of your smiling face and just for a moment bring us back to how we were before all of this happened. But sometimes, many times, things do not go as we wish, and looking back, I can only be thankful for everything we experienced together.

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

Seeing you grow up has been my greatest joy. You were the most precocious child. Always rowdy, and aggressive, spoiling to fight anyone and anything, but also so kind, thoughtful, and curious. I remember, one day, having to break up a screaming match between you and one of the other kids in your class because they called your race a tie and you were so sure you had won. You were so angry, I had no idea how I was going to calm you down, until you saw your friend Derek struggling to reach the finish line and immediately abandoned your fight to go cheer him to the end.

Watching you challenge yourself, make friends, and grow up has filled me with happiness and love every single day, even while I’ve been sick. I only wish I could have seen you grow up in the world you should have been born into. Maybe you would have loved math, like your parents, instead of military tactics, and maybe you would have loved soccer or the piano instead of sword fighting. I know you’re sick of hearing us old folks talk about what life could have been, so forgive me for wondering one last time.

I know that you are craving answers to your questions and probably expect to read them in this letter. Unfortunately, even at the end, I must disappoint you. There are things I’ve ached to tell you, but dare not say, even in writing. I know this will not make sense to you and please know it hurts me to hide the truth from you. But I swore, from the moment of your birth, that I would keep you safe, and I know, without a doubt in my heart, that he searches for you, even now. The answers you seek are in the capital. Had things been different, I would have taken you myself, but it’s a journey you must now make on your own. The stewards can help you find the truth and discover who you were meant to be.

Darling Eva Victoria, Evie, I love you. Every parent thinks their child is destined for something special, but there isn’t a single doubt in my mind that you will make an impact on this cruel and virulent world you had the poor fortune to be born into. Be brave, be strong, and above all, be good.

With all my love,

Mom

***

Evie read the letter. And then reread it. And then read it a third time. She shed tears as her mother described her loss and regret, smiled reading about her childhood, but most of all, felt frustrated and confused.

“Why talk in riddles mom? Even now…”

She paced back and forth across the room, staring at the letter as if imploring it to reveal its secrets. She reread the line in the middle of the letter

“Your parents…”

Her mother had always just been mom, singular. She never talked about her father. Never. She had always wished to know more about him, but this hint of a truth she did not understand shook her to her core. Math… It made no sense. Her mother had never mentioned liking math before. Sure she’d helped her with her homework, but she had been a nurse before the Virus, not a scientist or mathematician.

"Who’s looking for me? And why couldn’t she tell me about it before? My father? But he’s dead. The juggernaut had said it was looking for me, was that what she meant? But why?

“Why the secrets, Mom? What are you protecting me from?”

Regardless, Evie knew one thing. She was going to the capital. Once she made the decision, she knew without a doubt that she was going. She ran to her room and began throwing her few belongings into a large rucksack. Each piece she tossed into the bag felt like a step closer to something - answers, closure, or perhaps just more questions. Her hands moved automatically, folding and packing in a rhythmic pattern.

Just as Evie was tying up her bag, the door to her bedroom creaked open. Evie froze, bag on the bed beside her as she saw Mia walk in, her face a mix of concern and confusion.

"Evie, are you okay?"

She studied Evie’s face for a few seconds, looking for any hint of her emotional state. Then she saw the bag.

"What are you doing?"

“I…”

Mia’s eyes widened and she took a step back.

“You’re leaving? Now?!”

Evie looked up for a brief second, but she couldn’t meet Mia’s eyes. It had seemed so easy, so right, mere minutes ago, but the barely masked surprise and hurt in her friend’s voice brought her tumbling back to reality. Still, Evie did her best to keep her voice resolute as she stared at Mia’s feet.

“Yes… I’m going to the capital.”

Mia stepped closer, her voice rising with worry.

"To the capital? Evie, that’s crazy! It’s dangerous, and you can’t just leave-"

"I have to. I can’t explain it, but there’s something waiting for me there. It’s about my family."

Mia’s voice cracked, and her words wobbled slightly, running together like Evie would walk out the door at any moment if she didn’t get them out fast enough.

"But we can help you here. W-we can figure it out together. You don’t have to go alone."

Evie finally met Mia’s gaze, her eyes steely. The voice coming from her mouth didn’t like her own. It was coarser. Harsher.

"This is something I need to do, Mia. I appreciate your concern, but you can't help me with this.”

Mia’s eyes filled with tears, her frustration palpable.

"So this quest for answers is more important than... than us? Than me? You’re just g-g-going to leave?”

Evie sighed, her resolve faltering for a moment. She saw the hurt in her best friend’s eyes and she wanted to run over there and give her a hug. She wanted to tell her that everything would be okay and she wasn’t going anywhere. But everything wasn’t okay. And she had to go.

"It’s not about that, Mia. There’s something happening. Something I have no answers for. I don’t know how that juggernaut got into the fort and why it did it just to attack me. For all I know, everyone around me is in danger as long as I’m here."

"You think you’re the only one who can handle things? That you’re the only one with a destiny?"

A single tear slipped down Mia’s cheek. Evie’s heart clenched, but she shook her head.

"I can’t explain it, Mia. I just know I have to do this. Please try to understand."

Mia wiped her tears roughly, the hurt in her eyes deepening.

"I hope you find what you’re looking for, Evie. I really do."

She turned and walked out, slamming the bedroom door behind her. A few seconds later, Evie heard the front door slam as well.

She flopped down on her bed, exhausted.

“That could have gone better…”

But despite everything, her heart fluttered with excitement. In the morning, she was going to Fort Washington. She was going to the capital, the city she’d always dreamed of seeing. And she was going to get answers.