The city stretched endlessly ahead—twisted concrete, hollow towers, and sun-bleached road signs that pointed to nowhere. The sun sat heavy in the sky, not punishing but relentless.
They'd been walking for hours.
Climb
Lucas sighed for the third time in ten minutes, dragging the sound out like a kid denied candy.
"I am officially bored."
Ava didn't even glance at him since she was busy patching up gear.
"We're trying to not get killed, Lucas."
"Exactly. Nothing's trying to kill us right now, which means I'm left with my own thoughts. You wouldn't believe the stuff in there."
She arched a brow.
"Want to talk about it?"
Lucas blinked.
"Wait, was that a genuine invitation to talk about my feelings?"
"Not feelings. Just distractions. What do you even do when you're not bartering with smugglers or charming your way out of bullet wounds?"
He looked up at the sky thoughtfully.
"You mean hobbies?"
"Yes, Lucas. Hobbies. Normal human things."
He scratched the back of his neck.
