Ashen woke up to silence.
The faint, blue-gray light of dawn pushed through the gaps in the tarp that made up their modest tent.
The floor was layered with salvaged blankets and thermal sheets.
Two sleeping bags sat side by side, one occupied by Elara, curled up and fast asleep, her arm draped across her face to block the growing light.
Her breathing was calm and steady.
Sighing, he reluctantly stepped out of his warm sleeping bag.
When the disaster had struck, Ashen was only eight years old and his sister one.
Their parents had been on a plane, returning home from a business trip, while he and Elara were at their aunt's place for the weekend.
He still remembered that day like it was yesterday.
The sky suddenly turning blood red, his aunt's screams as she told him to grab his sister and hurry to the car.
The panicked look on people's faces as they all ran towards the closest Doomsday Bunker.
It was total chaos.
He still remembered the cries of his sister and the other children around them.
He still remembered breaking down in fear. "Aunty, where's my mom and dad? When are they coming to get us? I'm scared."
He still remebered it all.....
**********
Outside, the Drift's morning chill still hung in the air.
The sun hadn't broken the horizon, but Hollow Peak was already stirring with activity.
Their camp was small, maybe fifty people at most. It had once been an underground parking structure that caved in, now refitted with reinforced steel walls, watch platforms, and salvaged solar lights.
Smoke curled from a few early fires. The scent of burnt ration powder and scrap-fried meat drifted through the air.
Ashen pulled his coat tighter around him and started toward the central tent.
He was halfway there when he spotted Rill. She was dressed in her usual patchwork jacket, knife at her hip and a rifle slung over one shoulder. She gave him a nod as they fell into step together.
"Morning," she said.
"Yeah."
"You get any sleep?"
"Enough."
She paused then, seeming unsure whether to say something or not.
Seeing her like that, he sighed and said, "Just say it."
"Uh, about yesterday… Are you sure you're really fine? We could tell Ma…"
"I'm fine, Rill. Really," he said, cutting her off. "Look, I don't know what happened yesterday, but it's over, and I don't want us to dwell on it, okay? There's no need to bother Mara about something as simple as this. She has a lot on her plate already."
She glanced sideways at him but didn't press. That was the thing about Rill—she knew when not to push.
They walked in silence the rest of the way.
The central tent was the largest structure in Hollow Peak—stitched together from tarpaulins, netting, and reinforced sheet metal. Inside, fifteen people sat or stood in a rough semi-circle.
All able-bodied men and women. All survivors who knew how to fight or scavenge. At the center stood Mara Venn. Her gray-streaked hair was tied back, her coat patched and stained. She didn't carry a gun—she didn't need to. Her presence alone kept things from unraveling.
"Morning," she said, her voice low and even. "Let's get started, shall we?" They began with the usual: food inventory, water levels, medkit counts.
Then reports from yesterday's scout teams. One by one, the groups gave their reports—empty buildings, collapsed zones, no luck. It was the same as the previous days. Supplies were diminishing in the area, which meant they might soon have to switch camps again.
Ashen's turn came up. He kept it short. "Same as the others. Nothing useful. There was a wrecked delivery rig, but it was already picked clean." Rill didn't correct him, and Jax barely looked up. Mara nodded, unsurprised. "Understood. Keep trying."
Then one of the sentries suddenly spoke up. "Something else. There was a drone sighting. High-altitude, north edge of District 14. Didn't come close, but it hovered for almost two minutes before vanishing."
Murmurs rippled across the room.
"Military?" someone asked.
"Maybe," Mara said."Maybe worse. But if they didn't approach, there's no need for panic. Let's just focus on making it through the day."
Assignments were handed out: new districts, new sweep zones. The meeting wrapped up quickly.
As people filed out, Mara caught Ashen's eye.
"You alright?" she asked, her voice quieter now.
He nodded. "Never been better." She studied him for a second, then gave a short nod in return and walked away.
Ashen knew Jax would have said something about the incident, so he wasn't too surprised about Mara's inquiry.
Outside, the sun had started to rise. Pale gold light brushed the broken skyline. Ashen, Rill, and Jax moved through the camp, heading to their usual tasks: checking weapon functionality, prepping packs, and guard shifts.
But first things first… breakfast. "Did you guys hear?" Jax suddenly inquired mysteriously while they were marching towards the canteen. "Hear what?" Rill questioned, clearly interested in gossip.
Ashen just kept walking, clearly uninterested. He knew that nothing sensible ever came out of that head of his.
Leaning in closer, Jax whispered to Rill, "We are getting a serving of meat today! Hehehe, I haven't had one in, like, forever."
Rill: "..."
"Jax, you ate meat like two days ago," Rill replied in disbelief.
"Yeah, I know, right? Forever."
'How in the world I ended up getting paired with these two idiots, I'll never know.'
They arrived at a cookfire, where an old woman stirred a pot and handed out cracked metal cups of broth.
There were two sections for their meals, one for the adults, which was here, and another for the children, which was filled with more nutrient-packed food.
They got in line and received their pans of broth, then headed to a nearby bench to sit.
And that's when it happened.
When they were just a couple of steps from the bench, Rill suddenly tripped and her pan of broth was thrown into the air.
Ashen reacted before he even had time to properly register what was happening.
He stepped forward, his hand snapping out faster than it should have, and caught the pan before it hit the ground. No splash. No drop spilled. He had caught all the content mid-air.
Ashen stared at his hands in shock. "What just happened?"
He didn't even know when he moved, let alone the speed at which he moved. Looking up, he found everyone staring at him with wired eyes.
And he couldn't help but think, "Yep, I'm definitely fucked."