The forest canopy cast dappled shadows across the ground as Winter and Kyo made their way through the underbrush. Winter moved with practiced stealth, while Kyo tried his best to match his companion's careful steps.
"Could you be any louder?" Winter whispered, shooting Kyo an exasperated look as another twig snapped beneath the boy's feet.
"Sorry! Not all of us were trained as elite assassins, you know," Kyo whispered back, nearly tripping over a root.
Winter held up his hand suddenly, stopping them both. Through the trees ahead, orange firelight flickered invitingly. The sound of laughter—children's laughter—drifted toward them on the evening breeze.
"See?" Kyo said, already stepping forward. "Nothing to worry about!"
Winter's arm shot out, catching him. "Wait—"
But Kyo had already pushed past, emerging into a small clearing where a family sat around a cheerful campfire. A pickup truck was parked nearby, and the smell of toasting marshmallows filled the air.
"Hi there!" Kyo called out with a friendly wave.
The father, a broad-shouldered man with kind eyes, looked up from helping his young son with a s'more. "Well, hello! Didn't expect to meet anyone else out here."
"I'm Daniel," he continued, standing to greet them properly. "These are my kids—Varia and Volio."
The teenage girl, Varia, immediately perked up as Winter reluctantly emerged from the trees. Her eyes widened appreciatively, though Winter pointedly avoided her gaze.
"We're from Highfield," Daniel explained, gesturing for them to join them by the fire. "Just needed a break from the city life. How about you folks?"
"Oh, I'm from Ranweis," Kyo replied easily. "It's pretty far from here."
"I'm... from up north," Winter said vaguely, his attention drawn to the quiet boy who sat apart from the others, examining something in the grass.
Walking over, Winter crouched beside Volio. "What have you got there?"
The boy started slightly, then carefully opened his hands to reveal a fascinating beetle with iridescent wings. "Most people don't care about bugs," he said softly.
"Well, most people are missing out," Winter replied, settling down beside him. "Tell me more about this one."
"Ugh, why are you wasting your time with that freak?" Varia rolled her eyes dramatically. "He's literally playing with bugs. It's so gross."
Volio hunched his shoulders, starting to withdraw, but Winter kept his attention focused on the iridescent beetle.
"So you were saying about its wing patterns?" Winter prompted gently, completely ignoring Varia's outburst.
The boy's eyes lit up again. "Oh! Yes - see how the colors shift from blue to green? That's because of something called structural coloration. The wings have tiny scales that reflect light differently depending on the angle..."