#1

Blake groggily opened his eyes, his vision blurred. At first, he thought he was still dreaming—or maybe hallucinating from lack of sleep. Right in front of him, a tall, thin, grey figure loomed, its oval-shaped head tilted curiously, and its jet-black eyes unblinking.

For a moment, they simply stared at each other in silence.

Blake’s brain scrambled to process this. Did I fall asleep on a movie set? Is this a prank? Did I accidentally die and no one told me?

The creature didn’t move. Neither did Blake. It was as though they’d entered a staring contest of sheer terror.

Then, Blake’s survival instincts kicked in.

“NOPE! NOPE! NOPE!” he screamed, launching himself off the bed like a spring-loaded cartoon character. He slammed his hand against the door’s control panel so many times that the door opened, closed, and reopened in rapid succession like a malfunctioning elevator.

Panting, he stumbled into the hallway and nearly tackled Cyrus, who was walking by with a mug of steaming coffee. Blake clung to Cyrus’s back like a terrified child hiding behind a parent.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” Cyrus asked, raising an eyebrow as Blake peeked out from behind him. “You look like you just saw a ghost.”

Blake’s lips quivered as he tried to speak. “It was a... it was a... MON-MON-MONSTER!”

Cyrus took a long, slow sip of his coffee, completely unimpressed. “Monster? Really? In our base? Sure, You probably just saw Axel in his morning state.”

“No, I swear!” Blake gestured wildly toward his room. “It’s real! It’s in there! It’s gonna eat my face!”

Blake groggily opened his eyes, his vision blurred. At first, he thought he was still dreaming—or maybe hallucinating from lack of sleep. Right in front of him, a tall, thin, grey figure loomed, its oval-shaped head tilted curiously, and its jet-black eyes unblinking.

For a moment, they simply stared at each other in silence.

Blake’s brain scrambled to process this. Did I fall asleep on a movie set? Is this a prank? Did I accidentally die and no one told me?

The creature didn’t move. Neither did Blake. It was as though they’d entered a staring contest of sheer terror.

Then, Blake’s survival instincts kicked in.

“NOPE! NOPE! NOPE!” he screamed, launching himself off the bed like a spring-loaded cartoon character. He slammed his hand against the door’s control panel so many times that the door opened, closed, and reopened in rapid succession like a malfunctioning elevator.

Panting, he stumbled into the hallway and nearly tackled Cyrus, who was walking by with a mug of steaming coffee. Blake clung to Cyrus’s back like a terrified child hiding behind a parent.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” Cyrus asked, raising an eyebrow as Blake peeked out from behind him. “You look like you just saw a ghost.”

Blake’s lips quivered as he tried to speak. “It was a... it was a... MON-MON-MONSTER!”

Cyrus took a long, slow sip of his coffee, completely unimpressed. “Monster? Really? In our base? Sure, kid. You probably just saw Axel in his morning state.”

“No, I swear!” Blake gestured wildly toward his room. “It’s real! It’s in there! It’s gonna eat my face!”

Just as Blake finished his frantic explanation, a shadow emerged from the doorway of his room. Blake froze, his eyes widening as if his worst nightmare had stepped into reality.

The tall, thin figure appeared in the hallway, its smooth grey skin and black eyes eerily reflective under the fluorescent lights. It tilted its head again, this time in what looked like mild confusion.

Blake felt a chill crawl down his spine. “Oh no. Oh no no no no. It’s hunting me!”

To Blake’s horror, the creature started walking toward him.

“Cyrus!” Blake whispered harshly, gripping Cyrus’s arm. “DO SOMETHING! It’s coming for me!”

Cyrus let out a hearty laugh, patting Blake on the head like an overexcited puppy. “Right. Sorry about that.” He stepped forward, gesturing to the figure. “Blake, meet Gru. He’s an alien.”

Blake blinked. His terror paused just long enough to process the information. “...What?”

Gru raised a long, spindly hand in a slow wave.

“Yeah, he’s from another planet. Works with us sometimes. Bit of a weirdo, but harmless,” Cyrus explained with a grin. “Anyway, welcome to the team.”

Blake stared at Gru, then back at Cyrus, then at Gru again.

Gru raised a long, spindly hand, giving a slow wave. “Nice to meet you,” he said in a smooth, echoey voice. “Apologies for the early-morning jumpscare. I didn’t realize humans startle so easily.”

Blake squinted at him, still trying to piece everything together. “Wait... what’s an alien?”

Gru clasped his elongated fingers together, leaning slightly closer. “Ah, allow me to explain. I am an extraterrestrial entity originating from a binary star system located within the Andromeda Galaxy. My existence is defined by a symbiotic relationship with the quantum fabric of space-time, allowing for non-linear perception of reality. My physiology is optimized for adaptive bioluminescence and trans-dimensional neural linkages, facilitating seamless interspecies communication—”

Blake’s face slowly twisted into a mix of confusion and despair. “...What?”

Cyrus stepped in, patting Gru on the back. “Gru, you’re going to fry his brain. Blake, it just means he’s not from Earth. He’s, uh, a visitor.”

“Oh.” Blake nodded slowly, still trying to comprehend the first three words Gru said. “Got it... I think?”

Gru tilted his head, his black eyes reflecting the light eerily. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Blake.”

“Uh, yeah. Same here.” Blake hesitated, taking a cautious step back. In his mind, he thought, There’s no way I can fully trust you. Not with the way you stared into my soul. I could’ve died of a heart attack before even living my life.

Just then, a voice echoed in his head. “I’ll make it up to you.”

Blake froze, his heart skipping a beat. He answered the voice in his mind, “You better d—”

He suddenly looked at Gru and Cyrus. “Did someone just say something? Like... in my head?”

Both of them shook their heads nonchalantly.

“Nope,” Cyrus replied, sipping his coffee.

Gru blinked slowly. “Not a sound.”

Blake frowned but decided it must’ve been his imagination. Still uneasy, he turned to leave. But as he walked away, he glanced over his shoulder at Gru one last time. What was he even doing while I was sleeping? he wondered silently.

“Giving you a health check as a new member,” the voice replied cheerfully in his head.

Blake froze mid-step. His eyes darted around the hallway, searching for the source of the voice. He muttered cautiously, “...Hello?”

The voice chimed back. “Yes?”

“NOPE!” Blake screamed, bolting down the hallway. “I’m running mental! I need a CAT scan or something!”

Cyrus and Gru exchanged a glance, then burst into laughter.

Gru sighed. “Humans are so entertaining.”

Cyrus smirked, shaking his head. “Welcome to the team, Blake.”

#2

Blake took a deep breath as he came to terms with the situation. It was Gru, that trickster, who had played that prank on him. Blake couldn't help but feel wary of the Grey Alien and had even given him a fitting nickname: the Grey Devil.

The boredom hung heavy in the air, as if the environment itself had dried up. There was no mission to occupy Blake's mind, and everyone else seemed to be as idle as he was. Curiosity gnawed at him, and he decided to see what the others were up to. Perhaps he could find some semblance of excitement amidst the monotony.

He spotted Kai on the far side, grunting as he bench-pressed what looked like the combined weight of a small car. His muscles strained, glistening with effort. Kai’s focus was unshakable—until Blake walked in.

Blake sauntered over, tilting his head. "Hey, Kai. You planning on benching the moon next?"

Kai, mid-rep, glanced at him. “Just keeping fit. You might want to try it too.”

In an attempt to lighten the mood, Blake playfully reached for a dumbbell, but his thin arms wobbled under the weight. His grip faltered, and with a loud crash, the dumbbell plummeted to the floor, landing right on Kai's brand-new phone. The screen shattered, and Kai's eyes widened in disbelief.

Blake's nervous laughter echoed through the gym as he tried to salvage the situation. He hoisted the dumbbell back to its rightful place on the rack, but in his haste, the weight slipped from his grasp once more. This time, it collided with Kai's earpod, smashing the left bud into oblivion.

Blake gulped, his throat suddenly dry. "I see you're busy... I'll just leave you to continue," he muttered, slowly backing away from the scene of destruction.

Kai stood amidst the ruins of his gym session, his face a mixture of shock and resignation. He glanced at his broken phone and earpod, then sighed.

Blake stepped out of the gym, brushing invisible sweat from his forehead. “That didn’t go as planned…” he muttered, thinking about Kai’s destroyed earbud and his own shattered pride.

As he wandered the hall, the faint sound of rapid button mashing and digitized combat caught his attention. Following the noise, he peered into the game room and saw Lucas hunched over a console, his eyes glued to the screen as his character mercilessly pummeled an opponent in Street Fighter.

“Oh, this should be safe,” Blake said to himself. “No weapons, no blood… just a game. Even Lucas can’t make this weird.”

The moment Blake entered, Lucas’s head snapped toward him, his wide, manic grin growing like a predator spotting prey. His eyes gleamed with excitement. “Blake! Perfect timing!”

Blake froze mid-step. “Uh… hey, Lucas. Just thought I’d watch—”

Lucas shot up from his seat, his energy practically vibrating off him. “We missed our one-on-one yesterday. Let’s settle it now. Fists, blood, survival of the fittest!”

Blake took a cautious step back, raising his hands. “Whoa, whoa, whoa. I just wanted to play a game, not turn into a human punching bag.”

Lucas tilted his head, his grin never faltering. “A game, huh? Fine. We’ll play Street Fighter. But if I win, we’re doing a real one-on-one after this. Deal?”

Blake gulped, his nervous smile betraying him. “I, uh, can’t guarantee that unfortunately.”

Lucas grabbed a spare controller and practically shoved it into Blake’s hands. “Don’t worry, rookie. I’ll go easy on you... for the first ten seconds.”

“Comforting,” Blake muttered under his breath.

Lucas quickly ran through the controls, pointing out basic punches and kicks but conveniently skipping the advanced moves. “Now, just remember these. And don’t worry about the flashy stuff—it’s not like you’ll get to use it anyway.”

Blake nodded half-heartedly, gripping the controller like it was a ticking bomb. Lucas’s grin widened as they selected their characters.

The first round began.

Blake mashed random buttons, his thumbs moving chaotically across the controller. His character launched into an absurd flurry of attacks, chaining combos that neither player knew existed.

Lucas’s character was annihilated.

Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

“What the—?!” Lucas growled, his grin twisting into a snarl as the words “KO!” flashed on the screen.

“Wow, that worked?” Blake muttered, blinking at the screen in disbelief.

Round two.

Lucas leaned in, his tongue peeking out as he focused intensely. This time, he unleashed a barrage of calculated moves, whittling Blake’s health bar to a sliver.

Then Blake, in a blind panic, accidentally hit R1, R2, and R3 in rapid succession. His character unleashed a cinematic ultimate move, obliterating Lucas’s fighter in one hit.

Lucas’s jaw dropped.

“Did… did I win again?” Blake asked, his voice tinged with genuine confusion.

“You…” Lucas’s eyes twitched, his hand gripping the controller tightly. “You’re lucky. That’s all.”

By round seven, the game room had turned into chaos. Blake continued mashing buttons like a toddler at an arcade, his character pulling off increasingly absurd combos, counters, and finishers.

Lucas, on the other hand, had descended into madness. “WHAT IS THIS?!” he screamed as yet another “KO!” sign flashed on the screen. “THAT MOVE ISN’T EVEN IN THE MANUAL!”

Blake sat back, wiping imaginary sweat from his brow. “Well, Lucas, I guess some of us are just naturally talented.”

Lucas glared at him, his grin stretched unnervingly wide. “Blake…” he whispered in a low, dangerous tone. “You cheated. Didn’t you?”

“What? No!” Blake said quickly, holding up his hands defensively.

Lucas leaned closer, his face inches from Blake’s. “There’s no way… NO WAY you’re better at this than me. It’s impossible.”

Blake laughed nervously. “Maybe it’s just beginner’s luck?”

Lucas didn’t respond. Instead, his lips began moving, muttering something over and over under his breath. Blake squinted, leaning slightly closer to make out the words.

“Lose… lose… lose… lose…” Lucas repeated, his voice barely audible, but the repetition sent chills down Blake’s spine.

Blake swallowed hard, his instincts screaming at him to get out. “Uh, Lucas?”

The muttering stopped abruptly, and Lucas’s eyes snapped up, locking onto Blake’s with a crazed intensity. “Let me win,” Lucas said, his voice low and steady, but his grin twisted into something even more unsettling. “Just one round. That’s all I ask.”

The request wasn’t a request. It was a demand wrapped in a psychopathic smile.

Blake shifted uncomfortably in his seat, sweat beading on his forehead. “Sure… one round. Why not?” he said, his voice cracking.

Lucas’s face lit up, his grin widening as he gripped his controller with the fervor of a man on a mission. “Good. Let’s go again.”

The next round began. Blake decided he’d throw the match—anything to calm Lucas down. He purposefully tapped the wrong buttons, making his character stumble and miss attacks. It was going perfectly until—

“KO!” flashed on the screen.

Blake’s character had somehow pulled off another ultimate combo, winning the round.

Both players froze.

“What… just happened?” Blake whispered, staring at the screen in disbelief.

Lucas didn’t answer right away. His controller slipped from his hands and hit the floor with a hollow thud. Slowly, he turned to Blake, his grin no longer playful.

“You didn’t lose,” Lucas said, his voice unnervingly quiet, the menace dripping from each word.

Blake’s heart raced as realization hit him like a freight train. He jumped to his feet, forcing a nervous laugh. “Who, me? Nope! Didn’t happen! Well, look at the time—gotta go!”

Without waiting for a reply, Blake bolted from the room, slamming the door behind him. He didn’t stop until he was halfway down the hall, leaning against the wall and breathing heavily.

“What was I thinking? Playing a game with Lucas? Nothing is normal about him—not even in a normal situation!”

Behind him, he could still hear Lucas’s muttered words drifting faintly through the hall. “Lose… lose… lose…”

Blake shivered, shaking his head. “Never again. Never. Again.”

#3

Blake entered the target practice room, his curiosity piqued by the sharp sounds of metal clanging against a distant target. Inside, Cyrus stood poised, firing shot after shot with mechanical precision. Each small metal ball from his slingshot gun hit dead center, splitting the air with a satisfying ping.

Cyrus noticed Blake lingering near the doorway. “You here to watch, or you wanna try?”

Blake raised his hands defensively. “Oh, no thanks. I promised myself I wasn’t going to use a gun.”

Cyrus smirked, lowering the slingshot. “Relax. It’s not a real gun. It’s a slingshot—just designed to look like one. Fires small metal balls. Think of it as a brutal toy gun that doesn’t kill.”

Blake hesitated, eyeing the weapon suspiciously.

Cyrus shrugged, turning back to the target. “Not forcing you. Your call.”

Blake mulled it over, then sighed. “Fine, I’ll give it a shot. But if I end up breaking something—or someone—that’s on you.”

Cyrus handed him the slingshot gun. Blake took it, his stance awkward as he aimed at the distant target. He squinted, tongue poking out slightly in concentration, then fired.

Clang!

The ball ricocheted off the wall, narrowly missing Cyrus’s shoulder.

“Whoa!” Cyrus stepped back, raising an eyebrow. “You sure you’re not trying to hit me instead of the target?”

Blake laughed nervously. “That was just… a warm-up!” He fired again. And again. And again. Each shot missed spectacularly, one even bouncing back toward him, making him duck.

Frustrated, Blake’s gaze wandered to a rack of throwing knives on the wall. “You know what? Forget this toy.” He grabbed a knife, testing its weight before hurling it at the target.

Thunk!

The blade stuck perfectly in the center of the target.

Blake grinned smugly, retrieving another knife. “Now this is more like it.” He threw three more knives, each landing dead center with a satisfying thunk. Blake turned to Cyrus, arms crossed. “See? You just have to find what you’re good at.”

Cyrus chuckled and grabbed a set of knives himself. “Not bad, but let me show you how it’s done.” He hurled his knives at the target. They landed neatly in the center circle, though slightly off from Blake’s precise mark.

Blake leaned back, hands behind his head. “Not bad… but you missed the center of the center circle.”

Cyrus narrowed his eyes. “It’s still the center circle. It counts.”

Blake shook his head with a playful grin. “Nope. Only hitting the center of the center circle proves true skill. That’s just science.”

Cyrus sighed, running a hand through his hair. “You’re insufferable. Fine, you win.” He muttered under his breath, “Kai wasn’t lying about you and knives.”

Blake beamed. “Thanks for the vote of confidence.”

But the novelty quickly wore off. After a few more throws, Blake tossed the slingshot gun back onto the rack. “Yeah, this isn’t my style. Too repetitive. I’m more of a… knife guy, anyway.”

As he left the room, Cyrus rolled his eyes and returned to his slingshot practice. “We’ll see how cocky you are when there’s no knife rack nearby,” he muttered, smirking slightly as he resumed firing.

Blake stretched and yawned as he wandered down the hallway. “That was fun… for like two minutes.”

Blake strolled aimlessly down the hallway, rubbing the back of his neck. “Man, today’s been… something. Kai’s gym routine, Lucas’s game rage, Cyrus’s shooting obsession. What next?” He glanced around, his steps slowing as he passed by Axel’s room.

The thought of interacting with Axel gave him immediate discomfort. “He’s probably snoring in some corner or finding the most minimal effort possible to stay alive,” Blake muttered under his breath.

But then something caught his eye—a room filled with sleek robots in various states of assembly. Blake’s jaw dropped as he peeked inside. “What in the futuristic sci-fi madness is this?”

Pushing the door open, he stepped in cautiously. To his astonishment, Axel was seated at a workbench, goggles pushed up on his forehead, typing away furiously on a laptop while tightening a bolt on a robot’s arm.

Axel slowly swiveled his chair to face Blake, his expression as blank as ever. “No trespassers. Didn’t you see the sign?” He turned back to his work without waiting for an answer, his hands deftly alternating between a keyboard and a set of tools.

Blake blinked, still processing. “Hold on. You’re doing this? You? The guy who treats naps like a religion?”

Without looking up, Axel replied flatly, “Believe it or not, I have skills. Now, unless you’re here to fetch me a coffee, don’t touch anything.”

Blake walked closer, his curiosity getting the better of him. “Okay, but what is all this? These robots… what do they do?”

Axel sighed, setting down his tools. “Not like you’d understand if I explained, so why waste my breath?”

Blake crossed his arms and grinned. “Come on, give me the rundown. Explain it however you want. I’ll keep up. I’m not that dumb.”

Axel side-eyed him before giving a long sigh. “Fine. This one is the Sentry-MKIV, an advanced combat drone equipped with multi-environment adaptability, facial recognition for target acquisition, and neural-linked AI for independent decision-making.”

Blake nodded slowly. “Right. Got it. Totally. Sentry-MKIV… does combat stuff. Cool, cool. Lots of features.”

Axel stared at him for a moment before rolling his eyes. “Yeah. Sure. Let’s go with that.” He turned back to his tools. “Don’t touch anything.”

But Blake’s attention had already drifted to the screen of Axel’s computer. The cursor blinked invitingly over a button labeled Press ENTER. A vivid memory of the rocket-missile incident flashed in his mind, making him shudder. “Nope, not falling for that again,” he muttered.

His gaze shifted to the Sentry-MKIV. It looked intimidating yet… tempting. “So shiny,” Blake whispered, stepping closer.

He gave the robot’s head a light knock with his knuckles.

Clang!

The head fell off, hitting the floor with a heavy thud.

Axel froze mid-motion, slowly turning around with a wrench in hand. “You didn’t.”

“I, uh…” Blake laughed nervously. “It was loose? You’re welcome for the inspection!”

Axel groaned, rubbing his temples. “I was just about to secure that. Do you know how long it takes to recalibrate the sensors?”

Blake held up his hands. “Hey, no need to thank me. Just doing my part!”

Axel opened a drawer, rummaging for something while muttering under his breath. “Mini-Bot, escort the troublemaker out.”

From the shadows, a small, 4-foot robot rolled forward on stubby legs. It beeped in a cheery tone, its tiny arms extended like it was ready to give Blake a hug.

Blake snorted, holding back laughter. “That’s adorable. This is your enforcer? What’s it gonna do, boop me to death?”

The Mini-Bot’s arms flailed in frustration, emitting a sharp beep. Blake raised his hands in mock surrender. “Alright, alright! I’m leaving. No need to get violent.”

He backed out of the room, still chuckling. “I was planning to leave anyway,” he called over his shoulder. But as he turned down the hallway, he muttered to himself, “I’m definitely coming back in there. Those robots are way too cool.”

With a sigh, Blake shoved his hands into his pockets and kept walking. “Man, everything’s either too chaotic or way too calm around here. I almost miss the old days—running, climbing, morning chaos with the team. Almost.”

He paused, his stomach twisting at the memory. “Then again… betrayal kind of kills the nostalgia.”

#4

Blake wandered aimlessly through the building, visiting every room he could find. His steps eventually led him to a staircase spiraling upward. Curiosity piqued, he climbed higher until he reached a small door. Pushing it open, he found himself on a balcony at the highest point of the building.

The view hit him like a breath of fresh air. Below stretched a thick forest, a sea of green swaying gently with the breeze. The horizon blushed with the orange and pink hues of the setting sun. Birds soared lazily in the distance, their calls blending harmoniously with the whisper of the wind.

Blake rested his elbows on the railing, closing his eyes for a moment. “Finally,” he muttered. “Something peaceful.”

The quiet was broken by a voice—not external, but in his head. “It’s a nice place, isn’t it? Quiet, relaxing…”

Blake sighed, rolling his eyes. “Gru, seriously? Could you stop with the mind games already? I’m not falling for it this time.” He laughed to himself, shaking his head.

“Gru… You’re not getting along with him either?” a soft voice said, startling him.

Blake wandered aimlessly through the building, visiting every room he could find. His steps eventually led him to a staircase spiraling upward. Curiosity piqued, he climbed higher until he reached a small door. Pushing it open, he found himself on a balcony at the highest point of the building.

The view hit him like a breath of fresh air. Below stretched a thick forest, a sea of green swaying gently with the breeze. The horizon blushed with the orange and pink hues of the setting sun. Birds soared lazily in the distance, their calls blending harmoniously with the whisper of the wind.

Blake rested his elbows on the railing, closing his eyes for a moment. “Finally,” he muttered. “Something peaceful.”

The quiet was broken by a voice—not external, but in his head. “It’s a nice place, isn’t it? Quiet, relaxing…”

Blake sighed, rolling his eyes. “Gru, seriously? Could you stop with the mind games already? I’m not falling for it this time.” He laughed to himself, shaking his head.

“You’re not getting along with him either?” a soft voice said, startling him.

Blake turned sharply, blinking in surprise. A figure approached, her steps light and casual. She leaned against the railing beside him, gazing out at the same breathtaking view. “Me neither,” she added with a chuckle.

Her voice was unmistakably feminine, carrying a warm, lilting quality. Blake froze, his breath catching in his throat. He hadn’t seen a girl his age in… how long? Years, maybe? His world had been populated with hardened soldiers, eccentric team members, and figures either far older or too young to relate to.

“Uh…” he managed, not entirely sure if he’d said that out loud.

The girl turned to face him, her black hair catching the fading sunlight, giving it a soft, almost ethereal glow. Her dark eyes held an easy confidence, but there was a flicker of curiosity in them, as though she were sizing him up.

“So, you’re the new guy, huh?” she said, her lips quirking into a small smile. “Nice to meet you. I’m Emily.”

Blake’s mind scrambled to come up with a coherent response, but his body betrayed him first. He held out a hand to shake hers, managing only a quiet, “Uh, yeah… same… I mean, I’m Blake.”

Her hand was soft, her grip firm yet unhurried. Blake felt a blush creeping up his cheeks as he realized he was still holding on a beat too long. He let go abruptly, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

Emily leaned back against the railing, her attention returning to the view. “You picked a good spot,” she said. “Most people don’t bother coming up here. Too much effort, I guess.”

Blake chuckled nervously, scratching the back of his neck. “Yeah, uh… effort’s never really been my problem. It’s boredom. I just… stumbled on this place.”

Emily glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, her smile widening slightly. “Well, it’s a good stumble. Sometimes you need a spot like this to clear your head, you know?”

Blake nodded, trying to focus on her words rather than the way the breeze played with her hair. “Yeah,” he said softly. “It’s nice.”

For a moment, silence enveloped them, but it wasn’t the awkward kind Blake was used to. It felt… comfortable.

As the sun dipped lower, painting the forest in gold and shadow, Blake glanced at Emily again. He wasn’t sure why, but something about her presence felt grounding. He’d been swept up in chaos, surrounded by strange personalities and unpredictable situations, but right now, leaning against the railing with Emily, it felt like a small pocket of normalcy had found him.

“Nice to meet you, Emily,” he said again, this time more confidently.

She grinned, her dark eyes twinkling. “You too, Blake. See you around.”

As Emily walked away, Blake leaned back against the railing, a faint smile on his face. The forest seemed a little less imposing, the sky a little brighter.

For the first time in a while, things didn’t feel quite so bad.