Dawn crept in under a veil of mist.
Caspian moved early, long before the sun broke the treetops. He circled wide around the ridge where he'd seen the other figure. This time, he wasn't just observing—he was hunting for answers.
Every step was calculated. No broken twigs. No shifting leaves. His body flowed with practiced control, his breath steady, silent.
Then—movement.
A faint rustle down the slope. He froze, dropping low behind a fallen log.
A girl—young, lean, alert. Her clothes were patched from scavenged fabric, her posture tense. She held a long stick sharpened at the end, eyes scanning the terrain like she'd been doing this for weeks.
Survivor.
She moved with the same caution he used. Not military, but trained by the world itself. The wild had shaped her.
Caspian watched her set a small trap—a rock-weighted snare. Efficient. Clever. She had skill.
He could've walked away. But something told him not to.
Instead, he stood slowly and deliberately.
No threat. Hands visible.
She spotted him instantly—jerked upright, spear pointed, feet grounded.
Silence stretched.
"I'm not here to hurt you," Caspian said, voice low and steady.
She didn't speak—just stared, evaluating. Her eyes were sharp, not afraid. Calculating.
"I saw your trap yesterday," he added. "It's well made."
Still nothing.
Then, finally—"You alone?"
"Yes."
A pause. "How long?"
"Eight days," he replied. "You?"
"Ten."
A long silence followed. The wind picked up slightly, rustling branches overhead.
"I'm Caspian," he said.
"Lira," she answered after a beat, not lowering her weapon.
They stood like that for a while—two strangers in a forest that didn't care whether they lived or died.
Finally, she lowered her spear just slightly.
"I have a camp," he offered. "Safe. Quiet."
"Not interested."
Fair enough.
He nodded once, took a step back. "If that changes, I'm northeast. Past the stream with split rocks."
She said nothing as he turned and walked away, but he felt her eyes on his back the entire time.
That night, back in his shelter, Caspian sat with a fireless meal and sharpened his tools.
Lira existed. Others might too.
This wasn't just about surviving anymore.
It was about what came next.