Maria's shoes crunched against the brittle earth, each step echoing in the stillness of the forest. Her eyes never left the man ahead of her, his back turned as he moved with methodical precision, collecting whatever he deemed useful along the way. Her senses were stretched thin after all the time spent trailing the man, as she tried to stay just out of sight.
The figure—seemingly familiar yet not at the same time—moved with clear purpose. His movements were deliberate, each action telling her he had a specific goal in mind. The way he paused to collect herbs or handfuls of stones, the way he scanned the trees around him, spoke of someone experienced.
Maria's heart beat steadily as she pushed forward, her mind racing with questions. Who was he? What was he planning? And why did she feel compelled to follow him? She had no real answers, only a gnawing feeling that following him was a good idea.
He had stopped to crouch near a large rock outcrop, his hands sifting through a pile of dry leaves. He seemed to be gathering something—small sticks, bark, maybe even bones, though she couldn't make it out.
In that moment, the man paused. His head lifted slightly, as if sensing her presence. Maria froze, her body tensing as instinct told her to retreat. But the man didn't turn around, didn't make any sudden movements.
Maria's breath quickened, and she took a slow step back, careful not to disturb the underbrush. She needed a better angle, but she didn't dare get too close. He was too aware of his surroundings, too sharp for her to risk confrontation. The faintest breeze rustled the leaves above her, and she held her breath, praying it wouldn't give her away.
Seconds passed, and the man settled again. He bent down, continuing his work, seemingly unaware of the tension hanging in the air. Maria exhaled softly, the knot in her chest loosening just a fraction.
She couldn't afford to make any more mistakes.
The man stood and began walking again, picking up the pace. Maria didn't hesitate. She kept her distance but followed with renewed determination, her mind focused on the one thing she couldn't afford to forget—her children.
She wouldn't stop until she found them, and this man seemed very capable and knowledgeable. She could use his help to survive in this place.
In the distance, a faint light flickered. Maria narrowed her eyes, realising he had reached a small clearing. A terrible stench flooded her senses. She wasn't sure what caused it, but she was almost certain it wasn't from anything alive.
The man reached the edge of the clearing and dropped to one knee, his hands moving as if he were searching for something, or perhaps... studying something? Maria crouched low, watching as he continued his work with disturbing calmness.
She observed the clearing around them, taking in the unnatural stillness of the place. The stench, now stronger and unmistakable, curled into her nostrils, making her stomach turn. It was a mix of decay and something sharper, more metallic—like rust or blood.
The clearing was strange. There were no animals here, no rustle of leaves or distant bird calls. Just the man's low murmurs and the oppressive silence hanging in the air.
_What the hell is happening here?_ Maria's mind raced.
She risked another glance at the man. His back was still turned, his fingers brushing over something on the ground. He paused for a long moment, his hand lingering over whatever it was. Maria leaned forward, trying to catch a glimpse of what he was examining.
He shifted, then with unsettling calmness, reached into his pocket, pulling out what appeared to be some kind of herb.
He murmured something under his breath, then reached into his bag again, pulling out a bundle of twine and a few small wooden sticks.
He worked quickly, his hands moving in swift motions as he tied the twine around the sticks, fashioning them into a bundle. As he moved across the opening, Maria noticed the remnants of a fire—fairly recent, the charcoal hadn't yet cooled completely.
Maria's curiosity completely outweighed her fear by now. She had followed him here, but she hadn't expected... this. She took a cautious step forward, the dry leaves underfoot making a soft crackling noise. Immediately, the man's head snapped up, his gaze locking onto hers with cold precision.
For a long moment, the world seemed to freeze. He didn't speak, didn't make any sudden moves. _How long has he known?_
Maria's breath caught in her throat. It was Sam. The familiarity clicked into place, but seeing him like this—so focused—left her uneasy.
"You've been following me for a while now," he said.
Maria slowly emerged from her cover. Once she had approached close enough, Sam's posture relaxed as recognition flickered in his eyes. "Maria," he sighed. "I didn't realise it was you."
The tension in his shoulders eased and he turned back to what he was doing. "I thought I was being tracked by something else."
Taking the bundle of twigs he had tied together, he leaned it over the smouldering charcoal. The dry wood caught quickly, small flames lighting up the clearing.
He reached into his bag once more and pulled out a handful of dried herbs. Without hesitation, he pressed them to the flame just long enough for them to smoulder, the edges blackening and curling. he placed the herbs in a small pouch which he then squeezed. The scent changed instantly—sharp, bitter, almost medicinal.
Maria wrinkled her nose. "What are you doing?"
Sam didn't answer immediately.
"The stench lingering in the air here is from people who were hunted."
Maria's stomach turned as his words sank in. Humans. Hunted. The thought sent a chill through her as she glanced toward the shadows beyond the clearing. What about her children? What if such a monster found them before she did? She pushed those thoughts to the back of her mind, trying not to think any further.
"Whatever did it is still out there. This kind of smell will linger, which would draw unnecessary and very dangerous attention to us." He lifted the small pouch. "This should help mask our scent, keep them from noticing us."
Maria swallowed hard. The oppressive silence of the forest pressed in on her. She had thought things were relatively calm, that this new Earth wasn't all that dangerous after all. Now, though, they were standing at the scene of a massacre.
And the creature that caused it might still be nearby.
She took a slow breath and looked at Sam. "And if it doesn't work?"
He met her gaze, unflinching. "Then we run. Fast."
Maria paused briefly. "As I followed you, your actions all seemed practiced, with a clear goal in mind, as if you knew exactly what you were doing and what you were looking for."
Sam frowned slightly. "Don't you have knowledge of the plants, creatures, and so on in this new world? Didn't you receive all that information when you returned?"
"No, I only know basic survival skills, and most of that knowledge applies to the old Earth."
"Strange, how the same wish produced two different effects..." Sam already had an idea why—that Progenitor may have taken a liking to him and provided extra information. He naturally couldn't tell the others this and would have to feign ignorance, but this development wasn't entirely unwelcome.