Mikell muttered, “Shit on a stick! Never going this way again…” He wrenched his foot out of a hole which was previously covered by loose rocks. Considering the difficulty of heading through this area, he’s not surprised that monsters avoid Danglawan. At least it’s better than being chased out of a camp; he already missed the warm blanket that he had to leave behind.

With the night having a new moon and no stars, he could only see what’s in front of him, assisted by his phone’s flashlight. If it weren’t for the pack of stone-eaters, Mikell would’ve been peacefully sleeping under rock cover. He stifled a yawn as he tried to find a new place to sleep.

Surrounded by shadows, Mikell could only think about how much he hated being alone. His worry for his sister Nola’s safety had become a backdrop to the horrors of monsters and natural disasters shaking up this mysterious planet. He’d been trying to chase rumours of her, but none of them ended up being her. Everybody else either didn’t need to go to Danglawan specifically or they already knew their loved ones were dead. He had nobody with him.

Mikell eventually found a boulder which could partially shield him. Although he’s already tired enough that the concept of time had lost all meaning, the lack of true cover left him too twitchy to fall back asleep. Even the passing wind would jolt him awake, so he’s able to hear a group approaching the area before they saw him.

Someone at the front held up a phone with the flashlight on which made him instantly curious. As far as he knew, only people from the first world Esterra had modern technology aside from him. The group got closer, and Mikell could make out the vague shapes of men, women, and children. Would it be better if he reached out to them or let them pass without bothering them? It’d be nice to have company.

Thankfully, the group seemed to be made up of civilians. Although one held a gun-like object, they’re all unarmoured and walked with an uncertain air around them. When they were close enough to hear him, Mikell raised his voice slightly, “Hello, I’m Mikell! Are you headed towards Danglawan as well?”

The group startled, and the woman holding the gun pointed it at him for a split second. Upon seeing his raised hands and friendly smile, she quickly lowered it. However, the woman still looked a little wary. “Hello, we weren’t expecting to see anyone out in nowhere. By himself. In the middle of the night. We came up from underground just a few hours ago. Do you know where we are?”

Mikell considered his approach of walking out from the darkness. Yeah, he could see her point. “You’re a few hours north of Danglawan City which is the largest settlement that I know of. Nobody else had to go there, so I split from my group.”

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The group looked him up and down, hope starting to emerge on their exhausted faces. Eyes softening, the woman asked, “So there are other people around? We’re not the only ones left?”

Mikell stared for a second before it finally clicked. “Oh, yeah. There are survivors from other worlds here. The fourth Calamity happened a few days ago. What was your planet called?”

A storm of emotions swirled across her face. “Kinonn. The city that we’re from --- Sanabim --- is now underground. You said that there are pieces of other worlds here?”

“Yep, there are four worlds here, including yours. I’m sorry for what happened.” He gave them sympathetic looks.

She replied stiffly, “Thank you. I’m sorry you ended up here too.” The woman averts her eyes for a second, rapidly blinking before regaining her composure. “My name is Fianis. May we please travel with you? We’re very lost.”

Mikell nodded. “Yeah, for sure. Let’s camp for the night. It’ll take at least three hours to get to Danglawan, and it’s hard to see in the dark. I almost twisted my ankle already.”

“My phone’s almost out of battery too,” The guy holding up the light spoke. His deep voice was quiet and raspy like he rarely used it.

They gathered next to the better since there weren’t any better places nearby. Thankfully, it seemed like they all had scavenged backpacks and other supplies. Hopefully it’ll be enough to last them for awhile since Danglawan had a lot of people. The governor was doing his best to make sure the survivors had their needs met, but there wasn’t always enough material to go around.

When he landed in this world, Mikell wandered through a carnivorous forest and took an unplanned dip into the ocean to escape the monsters. Basinoon Harbour ended up being the first safe place for him, and Danglawan came to be a close second. He heard about a third city with a giant glacier somewhere southeast of Danglawan, so that’s where he planned on heading after the mountainous city. Mikell didn’t know what to do besides looking for his sister. He hoped that this group had better luck than him.

He offered to take first watch, and the guy who held up the light agreed to join him. Mikell settled on top of the boulder with the other next to him. With only his phone’s light, he could barely make out the area around them, but it would be enough to give everyone warning. Before the group went to sleep, he extended his hand for a handshake from his watch partner. “In case you missed it earlier, I’m Mikell. I hope things get better for you.”

The guy gave him a weak handshake like he’s never given one before. “...Thanks. I’m Edellan.”

Mikell smiled encouragingly, meeting Edellan’s distant, grey eyes. “We’ve got a long night ahead of us, but don’t worry. The world’s not totally fucked yet.”

Edellan’s returning smile washes years off his face, softening the dark bags under his eyes.