They set out into the desert in the direction of the marauders. Bryn crouched down, placing her hand on the sand, revealing footprints that had once been buried. This led them to a small base camp just a mile away. This is what the enemy had used before their ruthless attack.

Dorian, Skye, Bryn, and Myka had their bearing.

It was a neat trick Skye thought. He was grateful no one had questioned his participation in this journey. Compared to the rest of them, Skye was weak and useless, as Bryn had repeatedly stated, a burden on their group. He’d only slow them down. Yet Dorian seemed to have taken a city type of pity on him. It was hard to pinpoint where it was coming from, but Dorian’s attitude had definitely shifted.

Each and every time Bryn chastised or mocked him, Skye wanted to defend himself. Tell her he was the one who saved them all. That Skye did have a gift after all, even if he didn’t know how to use it. Yet each time he bit his tongue. Now was not the time. Not until he knew more.

Bryn was able to track them for quite some distance.

“Should we consider they were the only ones? If not, why hadn’t they brought more with them.” Bryn said.

“Maybe they were just a scouting party?” Skye added.

“What a terrible thought. So we may be walking directly toward an actual army. This’ll go great,” Bryn spat in the sand next to one of the footprints.

“No one said you had to come with us, Bryn. You can still turn back. Defend your precious Structure,” Dorian was focused on the horizon. He hadn’t taken his eyes off it the entire journey. No more surprise attacks, not on his watch.

“Funny. Someone’s gotta protect our little giftless lamb over here anyways,” Bryn said, referencing Skye once again.

“Can I just say something?” Skye said as they all stopped. He should tell them, tell them now. Do the best you can to explain what happened. They’ll believe you. I mean, why wouldn’t they, right?

“Yes oh, giftless one? We’re wasting daylight here,” Bryn teased.

It was me. I mean. I do have a gift. I just haven’t figured it out yet he wanted to scream at the top of his lungs. But he couldn’t do it and backed out at the last second.

“Let’s just. Be careful. Okay? We’re all we have out here,” he said.

“Oh bravo. Real wise words over there. Stick together. Got it, boss. Any other gems you’d like to share?” Bryn asked.

“It’s fine. Let’s stay focused,” Dorian said as they continued back on the path.

They were treating him like a child. He couldn’t stand it. Even Myka’s gift was incredible. Skye watched her practically skip behind Dorian. Wide-eyed taking in the whole world with wonder. How could she be so joyful in a situation like this?

Though Skye would never admit it out loud, Myka’s presence lifted his spirits, she lifted all of theirs.

“It can’t be much further, right? They didn’t have much equipment either. Except for their weapons, they had no carrying sacks or sleds of any kind.” Dorian hypothesized.

“How’d you get out?” Myka suddenly asked Skye. “Of The Structure—” they all looked back. It was gone, no longer visible on the horizon. A sight that none of them were truly prepared for. Never in their wildest dreams had they imagined they’d be leaving The Structure behind.

“I. I don’t know,” Skye said. “I just woke up and I was outside.” It was best Skye thought, to stick to the truth as closely as possible. The moment the words left Skye’s mouth, he noticed Dorian glance over.

He was watching him. But why?

“It doesn’t matter now. Let’s set up camp for the night,” Bryn said.

“Wait. I can sense something in the air.” Dorian responded. There was a shimmer—the light was refracting off of something. It looked like an invisible curtain had been dropped down from the sky, extending far off into the distance on both sides.

Dorian inched closer, gently reaching out his fingertips. It felt like a thin mist or fog. His fingers disappeared behind the veil. Pushing forward, his entire hand wrist, and arm was gone. Dorian continued until he was completely gone.

Bryn, Skye, and Myka watched in disbelief. One moment he was standing a few feet in front of them in the middle of the desert, and the next, nothing.

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Where had he gone?

“Guys? Guys!” they heard Dorian scream from the unknown abyss.

Skye had never heard a level of panic in his voice like this before. Hearing his fear caused them to hesitate more than anything else. But if he was in danger they needed to be there. Remembering the promise they made to each other.

No one else. We aren’t going to lose anyone else.

All three of them sprinted through the thin veil.

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This place had been drenched to its core with rain. There were four slopes of the valley, all thick with mud and evidence of consistent landslides. In the center at the bottom was a massive concrete structure that resembled a prison. At least it could have been one. Hundreds of years ago. It was almost as big as The Structure, but now it was crumbling all around like the building was condemned.

On each wall of the concrete building, a large metallic letter T had been carved into the stone.

Dorian stood atop the valley forcing himself, willing himself to be strong. To compose himself. For the mud valley had tints of crimson red. It wasn’t only littered with rocks and debris, but human bones were embedded into the ground in all directions. Corpses of varying decomposition. Thousands upon thousands of bodies. The smell caused him to choke, burning and rotting flesh was all his senses could detect. The rest of the group came barreling in behind him. Myka tripped on a femur sticking out from the ground, she tumbled and slid down the hill. When she finally reached the bottom and centered herself. She vomited. Myka tried desperately to climb back up the hillside but kept slipping on the mud and rot. Sliding back down each time.

“You don’t belong here,” A shy voice perked up as a steel door creaked open, just under one of the massive metal T’s. Its walls were high and simple. They looked strong. No windows. There appeared to be more doors, at least six on this side by Myka’s account. The Structure only had one tunnel entry and exit way. This place appeared to be wide open.

“Get out of here,” The small girl squeaked, she was holding a small serrated blade in one hand, and what looked like a piece of steel she had crafted into a small shield in the other.

“What is this place?” Skye called from behind. They slowly made their way down the slope. The girl looked at them strangely. Like she was sizing them up, determining how quickly she could take them out if necessary.

“You don’t know?” The girl edged out of the doorway a little more. “Then how’d you get here?” She squinted.

“Where is everyone?” Dorian demanded, but the little girl was not moved by his forced bravado.

“Gone.”

“Where’d they go? And what’s your name?” Dorian said. Realizing she wasn’t afraid of them, they couldn’t intimidate her.

“Toyatsu.”

“Your people attacked mine, we need to know where the rest of the went—” Bryn cut in. Still weighing the decision on whether to let this girl live. She was alone, she couldn’t possibly be much of a threat. But her people. Were monsters. Toyatsu’s cool and relaxed demeanor in this literal hell hole was disturbing.

“Tell us what this place is,” Bryn was shaking and losing composure.

But Toyatsu didn’t care about their questions or demands. She was certainly interested in their sudden appearance, but past that. “So you don’t have a map?” Toyatsu said, void of emotion. Bryn couldn’t handle the smugness of this girl. No more. They couldn’t risk this girl making a sudden move. As Bryn prepared to make a move. She suddenly noticed all the cuts on her arms and legs. The brutality of their reality was starting to dawn on her.

Myka also noticed this and reached out to heal her.

Toyatsu jumped back and bore her teeth, they were sharp, vicious things. White daggers.

“S-Sorry,” Myka said as she retreated behind Dorian, a small windstorm kicked up, creating a barrier, to protect them if Toyatsu decided to counter with her own attack.

This small display of power caught her interest.

“I’ve heard of your kind... Follow,” Toyatsu gestured for them to follow as she approached the T, there were small rungs sticking out that she climbed.

The group looked at one another, it was four against one, if she tried anything, they’d be ready. Dorian was the first to follow. Keeping a close eye on her movements. The T took them to the top of the building where Toyatsu simply sat cross-legged and looked out at the carnage. The recruits kept their distance. Skye imagined this place could have been beautiful once. Instead of death, the valley filled with flowers and plants. He imagined the sun cresting over the top, basking them in sunlight.

“The. Rations stopped coming. Pfta pfta,” Toyatsu said, making a strange noise with her mouth, it was like she was mimicking spitting. “People started to panic. People started to go hungry. Then. A map appeared. Pfta,” Toyatsu’s entire body tensed.

“Rations?” Skye asked. “Could it be like ours outside of The Structure?” he looked to the others, but they had no answers. “What map are you talking about?”

“Yuhuh. First famine, then a map. Coincidence? Nah. Somma thing is happening. Changing. We hadda four factions. Got along for years, no. Longer. Many many years. They began to fight. Kill. There were few left. Only a couple of each. Instead of extinction, they decided to trust tha map. Some went that way,” Toyatsu pointed over her shoulder. “Some went your way,” she just nodded at them. “Others went there and there. ” she pointed in the other two directions. “People were tired of starving ta death. Killin their own kind.”

It would be incredibly easy to get lost or turned around here, Skye thought. From the top of this building, it all looked the same. Just a valley of death and fog and mist.

“How did you survive?” Bryn asked. Toyatsu looked away. And for the first time, they saw who she really was.

Someone who had done everything in their power to survive.

At least that’s how Bryn, Dorian, and Myka looked at her.

Skye couldn’t shake a terrible feeling. She was the sole survivor in a land of death, a bad omen. Dorian didn’t share Skye’s sentiment.

“What will you do now?” Dorian asked, inching closer. This time Toyatsu didn’t flinch.

“Folla the map. Only one way left to go. The Space Man will have answers. He gave us this,” Toyatsu pulled out a small piece of parchment. Massive red X’s drawn with blood were marked over every direction except for one.

While they didn’t want to stay in this place any longer than they had to, could they really trust her?