Smell of cooked rats, crackling of the bond fire, a quiet perfect night with crickets chirping everywhere. “So....it's been three days we have been traveling, how much longer is it going to take to get to this Los Angeles place?” Makya said impatiently.

“Well, from what I remember traveling up north, it took about fifteen almost sixteen days.”

Hakan shouted, “Sixteen days?? So we still have thirteen more days left to travel??” James nodded while chewing the piece of rat.

“So Nakoma, I have a question.”

“What is it, James?”

“I appreciate the three of you coming to help us, I really do, but why were you the only one willing to go, instead of the others?” Nakoma looked flustered,

“Well…all my life I've been raised to believe that the gods are protecting us from evil and giving us land to thrive off of, I still wonder...why are we here, what is my purpose and what lies beyond the discord barrier.” The more James and the rest of the group listen to her the more they come to realize why she was willing to go.

“Honestly seeing you come over the barrier, I was so happy because it questioned our beliefs.”

“Well I thank you guys for coming along and hey, you might learn something while we're over there, c’mon let's get some shut eye and head out in the morning. Nakoma lies in her makeshift sleeping bag, with only her thoughts. Her mind races as she's afraid to see, what kind of people where they, is their god a lie, and if so, why were they there in the first place? She looks into the fire pit feeling its heat in the freezing night, before drifting to sleep, her final thoughts, what will happen next.

It's been days since they have been traveling, James looked a bit tired but the three still had stamina,

“You alright James?” Said Hakan,

“Oh yeah don't worry I'm good, how do you guys... not get tired?” The three shrugged in sync.

“I mean, you wanted to take through the mountain, you said it's a faster route”

“I know I know” said annoyed, “It's the quickest way to get past the city.”

“The city?” Said Makya. Hakan halted,

“Do guys hear that?” The rest were silent.

Faint noises of waves hitting rocks, a seagull squawking above them, “Oh sweet Jesus we’re here!" As James yelled out. Nakoma’s heart raced, they followed James as he reached to the top. There, was a bridge stretching out to the other side of the land mass. “Madam and gentlemen, welcome to San Francisco!” Next to this island-like city was a grand ocean. The group’s breath was taken away, the city from far as the eye could see was taken over by nature. What she thought were strange mountains were actually buildings covered in moss and leaves.

“James what is that?”

“That my friend is the city of San Francisco, no one inhabits this place anymore so now nature took over it, beautiful isn't it.” James slides down the hill and the rest follow. They began walking through the enormous bridge, they seemed uneasy as the bridge was rusty and old. Parts of the street were missing but were able to get through.

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“My word, this feels so weird, did gods build this place?” Hakan said,

“Actually no, people did, like me and you” the three of them stopped.

“Hold on, you mean other people built this?” Makya said

“So that island is a city built by us?” Nakoma said with bewilderment in her voice. They walked through the broken bridge, going around the holes leading to the ocean. The rusty and worn out bridge slowly ended and at the end of the bridge grass grew to their knees, trees everywhere. There were so many trees that they blocked out the sun.

“C'mon I know a place where you can be in the middle of all this and still see the view” they all followed him to a place called the financial district. Everywhere they'd go buildings crumbled, covered in moss and vines. Even the ones standing were covered in moss all the way to the roof.

“Here we are,” James said,

“W- what is this place...?” Said Hakan.

“Yes, this place it's so...breathtaking...” said Makya, Nakoma’s eyes scanning everywhere trying to get the details of all the grass, all the buildings in moss, cars fully covered in grass.

“What's that James...?” she pointed to a car that was rooted to the ground,

“That my friend is what's called a car.” “A car?”

“Yup, people ride these cars going from place to place faster and I mean way faster than on foot”

“My word.” said Makya.

“Come, I'll show you something neat” they followed him inside the pyramid like building, they saw it unusual because it was the only one that wasn't covered in flora. They climbed flights of stairs until they reached the forty eighth floor. “Madam and gents, I present to you the suite VIP of San Francisco.” Through the windows was a hole in the wall lined with a view of all of San Francisco, a city taken over by mother nature.

All of them looked out into the city amazed and in awe.

“It’s so beautiful.” Hakan said,

“By the gods this view.”

“Just a step closer to the truth...” whispered Nakoma. James standing at the entrance of the door smiled at them looking out, his smile slowly started to shroud to a blank expression.

“Hey guys, let's go, we still have a long journey ahead of us.” Taking in their last moments of the view they start to head back down, Nakoma was the first to step outside, she stopped to see a doe slowly walking up to her, “Makya, Hakan look!” they all watched her as the doe was slowly coming to her. She reached out her hand and the doe began to sniff and licked her palm. The doe's ears perked up and looked to its side, it ran the opposite of their direction. “Did you guys see that!” Energetically yelled Nakoma.

“Listen you guys there's uh, something I have to say...”

“What is it James” Hakan said,

“I haven't been honest with you these past few days, I got to know you and all, it's not right anymore.” Nakoma slowly walked towards James.

“James what are you talking about?” His eyes were tearing up his lips quivering,

“I... I lied to you guys”

“What?!” Said Makya, “You lied? So you didn't need our help at all?"

''Yes I mean no... ugh, it's complicated.”, Nakoma got closer to James with a serious grim look on her face.

“Then what is it James, tell us.”

“Look the reason I've brought you guys along is that-” his throat explodes spurting blood on all three of them. His body dropped like a rag doll, his lower jaw and throat were shredded. Nakoma couldn't hear a thing, their faces in shock, frozen and could not move, their minds trying to process what just happened. “Don't move!” “Hands up!” All around them were these figures in police gear in gas masks.

The three pointed their weapons at them. “Drop them!” They were circled, they knew they were outnumbered, so they dropped their weapons. The armed men rushed in closer and forced them to kneel down. Nakoma looks at the two of them only to see them get hit in the face with the buttstock of the weapon. “No!” She reaches out for them trying to crawl as the man has his foot on top of her. She then gets hit with the rifle and becomes unconscious.