As they kept walking, the narrow path gradually widened. It was subtle at first barely noticeable, but as they kept there pace it became apparent that the path is clearing up to something more.
The ground beneath their feet grew firmer, more defined.
It wasn't just a trail anymore—it was starting to feel like a dirt road. Or at least something that people used to walk on.
Before long they were at the crossroad where four different path met, two of them were just as the one they walked in narrowing at the end of their vision, with underbrush peeking from the side and vague path.
The one to the front was different.
It was broader. Flattened. The dirt was packed down by repeated use, and bits of gravel clung to the edges. Grass had been trampled into submission.
Kazuki took a step toward it. "This is it." he muttered, like he couldn't quite believe it.
Lillian didn't respond immediately. She was scanning the other paths, her eyes narrowed slightly in thought. But eventually, she nodded. "Yeah, looks like it."
She glanced at him. "Let's follow it."
Kazuki grinned. "Lead the way, commander."
She gave him a look, then turned without a word and started walking.
He followed.
The path kept widening, trees being pushed aside with each step, sunlight poured freely from the above. The ground once scattered of twigs and roots with mud, turned into more solid dry dirt road.
And then—
They stepped into a clearing.
A huge one.
As far as their eyes could stretch, even at the edges of their peripheral vision, the trees had vanished—receded like a tide drawn back from the shore.
The ground here was a mix of flattened grass and sun-baked dirt, cracked faintly in places from long exposure.
Silent stilled in the air.
Lillian slowed to a stop.
Kazuki stopped beside her, eyes taking it all in.
"Finally." He exhaled. "We are probably just few steps away from village lets hurry up."
Lillan nodded, too tired to speak.
They ran.
Their footsteps pounding against the dirt, stirring up little clouds of dust. Kazuki pushed ahead slightly, his eyes squinting against the sun as he scanned the horizon.
The road curved gently ahead, rising just a little, and beyond that—
Roofs.
Kazuki heart pounded against his chest, excitement flaring up like a firecracker set lose in dark.
His eyes wide and grin even wider. He jumped up and down, like a over monkey, high on caffeine, looking back at Lillan. "Lillian! A village! Let's goooo!"
Before she could get a word out, he took off running again, wind whistling against his skin, arms flailing, legs pumping with manic energy only a desperate person could muster.
Lillian blinked, one brow arching. "Gods help me," she muttered, then followed.
His excitement was palpable, his running—nerves blazing, with hot blood rushing on them, his bones felt the kind of thrill when his favorite football team had won.
The village gates were closer now, simple wooden beams and a crooked sign hanging above the entry.
He skidded to a halt just as he reached the gate, his excitement deflating immediately, the entrance was silent, that kind of that stick to your bones and spoke of dead or lifelessness. His eyes darted around, scanning the weathered wooden beams of the entrance, the crooked sign hanging limply above. It felt like a storm had passed through, or the place was barely maintained.
"Wait…" Kazuki murmured, his heart suddenly racing in a different way. The village looked abandoned.
Lillian caught up to him, her expression unreadable. "Well, it looks like it has been looted twice." She said, her voice low as she examined the crumbling walls and empty streets. "Nothing's left here."
Kazuki nodded in agreement, his eyes still scanning the village for any sign of life. "I can't believe it. After all that running, we got an abandoned village."
He shifted his weight from one foot to next. "So. What do we do now?"
Lillian's gaze flickered toward him, as if she hadn't even considered leaving. "What's there for us to do? It's clear no one's around. But we're not going to leave without food and water." Her voice was firm.
Kazuki blinked, momentarily thrown off by her bluntness. "You really want to stay here?"
She gave him a sharp look, one that had no room for argument. "We're not walking back into the forest with nothing. Even if the village is abandoned, we can still salvage something. It's not like we have many other options right now."
"We came all this way," she continued. "We'll see."
Kazuki stepped beneath the crooked sign, squinting up at the faded, splintered wood. The paint had peeled away with time and weather, and many of the characters had crumbled to dust. Still, a few vague symbol remained.
He tilted his head, mumbling aloud. "Ruh… Ru… twa?" His voice caught in his throat. "Rutwa. I think it says Rutwa."
He glanced at Lillian. "Does that name ring any bells?"
She didn't answer right away. Her brow furrowed as she stared at the sign, lips pressed into a thin line. Then she shook her head. "No. I've never heard of it."
Kazuki frowned, glancing back up at the faded word as if it might change under a second look. "Weird name. Sounds… old."
They moved forward, stepping onto the entrance path. The road had been overtaken by nature—grass creeping in from the sides, weeds growing in the cracks.
The huts they passed were small and primitive, their thatched roofs caved in. Wooden beams had collapsed in places, and shutters hung open, swaying slightly in the wind.
A broken cart lay half-tipped in the center of the path, its wheels snapped and splinters jutting like bones. Another one was overturned near a hut, its contents long gone, leaving behind only rotted ropes and scattered debris.
It felt like the village had just frozen mid-moment—like people had dropped everything and vanished.
Kazuki said, rubbing his hands together. "So… from where do we continue our heist?"
Lillian shot him a flat look. "We're not robbing anyone. This is salvage."
Lillian scanned the village with a tired squint. "There," she said, nodding toward a slightly larger hut with its door hanging crooked off one hinge. "Looks like a storehouse. If any food's still around, it'll be in there."
Kazuki nodded and jogged ahead, stepping over a fallen beam. The floor creaked beneath their feet as they stepped inside.
Shelves lined the back wall, most of them empty, but there were cracked jars scattered on the ground, their contents dried or spoiled. A few sealed containers still sat on the far side, stacked beside a slumped shape.
Kazuki froze. "Wait. Is that a person?"
His voice dropped. "No… no, that's...."