For the first time in a long while, Solace felt free.
She climbed until the branches shook beneath her, bare feet pressing into the bark, fingers sticky with sap. When she reached the top, she'd stretch her arms wide, letting the wind rush over her skin. The sun warmed her face, and she'd closed her eyes, smiling at the weightless feeling of it all air, sound, light.
She took her time with the little things most people missed. She crouched close to wildflowers to study their veins, traced the slow crawl of a beetle over a petal, dipped her hands into streams to feel the cold bite of water. When the day grew hot, she jumped into a lake without thinking water splashing high, laughter echoing off the trees then lay out in the grass to dry, watching clouds drift past.
It wasn't about adventure or purpose. It was about choice. About being able to stop, to breathe, to exist exactly how she wanted.
Whenever she felt that quiet kind of happiness, the kind that filled her chest till it hurt she'd bring her pointer, middle finger, and thumb together, kiss them dramatically, then flick her hand toward the sky. "The pinnacle kiss," she called it. her own way of thanking the world for not swallowing her whole.
Freedom was supposed to feel like this endless, golden, light. But sometimes, when the laughter faded, the silence settled heavy. She didn't always know what came next. Where to sleep. What to eat. How to keep going when there was no one left to tell her how.
She tried, though. Tried to make small routines. She'd line up rocks by size near her campfire. Count her breaths when she got scared. Pretend the stars were answering when she talked out loud.
When she managed to catch a moment that felt right like she'd done something good, something alive she brought her thumb, middle, and pointer finger together, kissed them, then flicked her hand toward the sky. "The pinnacle kiss," she'd say softly, her own way of thanking the world for not swallowing her whole.
But the truth lingered beneath the calm: she was still learning how to live, not just survive.
That was when she heard them rough laughter in the trees ahead, the sound of metal scraping leather. Men.
Solace moved quietly along the forest path, the sunlight dancing across the leaves. She spotted three men up ahead, lingering too close to the trail. For a moment, she thought she could pass without trouble, maybe even strike up a friendly conversation.
"Hey there," she called, voice light, "nice day for a walk, isn't it?"
The men stopped, turning toward her. The tallest of them stepped forward, smirking.
Solace offered a small, polite smile, hoping to ease the tension. She kept her hands visible, relaxed but her senses were alert. Something about their stance told her they weren't interested in chatting.
The men exchanged glances. Then one of them, the tallest, stepped forward, a grin spreading across his face. "Well, well... looks like someone's wandering alone," he said, eyes scanning her.
Three men stepped into her path, closing the space around her. She could feel the tension radiating off them, the weight of their expectations, their assumptions.
Bright eyes scanned each of them, taking in their stance, the way they moved. A faint smirk tugged at her lips not because she didn't feel the danger, but because fear wasn't going to help her here.
"Careful, boys," Solace said, voice lilting. "Stand that close and I might start thinking you're looking for trouble."
She didn't need to shout or glare. Her tone alone made the first flickers of hesitation appear in their eyes. Her body moved almost before her mind registered the threat.
The first man lunged, trying to grab her. She twisted, using his momentum against him, and with a quick shove and a turn, sent him sprawling into the dirt.
The other two drew their weapons, but Solace was already shifting, weaving, ducking. Punches snapped through the air, her kicks precise, almost effortless. She dodged a swing from one, sidestepped the other, and in a blur of movement disarmed them both before they fully realized what had happened.
Within seconds, all three men were groaning on the ground, their weapons lying useless beside them, confusion and shock written across their faces.
Solace dusted her hands off, the movement casual, almost playful. Her eyes swept the forest around her, sharp and alert, as if she already sensed someone watching.
Then her gaze settled. There, barely hidden among the shadows, was a pair of wide, curious eyes, someone watching her.