The Remnants Pact

Chapter 1: Wasteland Echoes

The sun sank low on the horizon, casting an eerie glow over the desolate landscape. A once-thriving world had succumbed to the cataclysmic event that tore civilization apart. What remained was a wasteland, a realm forgotten and discarded by those in the front lands who held the wealth and power. Mountains of garbage and trash stretched as far as the eye could see, forming grotesque monuments to humanity's excess.

In the heart of this forsaken realm lived two sisters, survivors of a world that had crumbled before they even took their first breaths. Atka, the elder of the two, had grown up amidst the debris and filth, her memories weaving a tapestry of scavenging, hunting, and the endless struggle for survival. Her hands were calloused, her eyes sharp, and her spirit unyielding. Beside her was Miki, a child born into a world of ruin, her innocence juxtaposed against the harshness of their reality.

The sisters moved through the wreckage like shadows, their footsteps muffled by the layers of discarded remnants. Atka's makeshift bow was slung across her back, a reminder of the skill she had honed over years of practice. Miki clung to her sister's hand, her wide eyes reflecting a mix of wonder and apprehension.

"Atka, look!" Miki's voice carried a hushed excitement as she pointed to a twisted piece of metal jutting out from a pile of debris. "It's like a long animal..umm.. what was it.. snek? Snake!."

Atka halted, a half-smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "It's a material left by the time before, Miki. People used bunch of those to build towering cities, reaching the sky with structures of metal and glass."

"Woaahh... Reach.. the sky?" Miki's imagination ignited as she envisioned the fantastical cities of old with metal and glass scraping the sky and clouds, a stark contrast to the desolation around them.

"It's getting late," Atka said, her tone soft but firm. "We should head back before nightfall."

The sisters retraced their steps, Miki's grip on Atka's hand never wavering. As they approached their makeshift shelter, crafted from remnants of rusted metal and worn fabrics, a sense of safety settled over them.

With practiced ease, Atka ignited a small fire in the center of their shelter using her own made-up fire starter. Miki watched with fascination as the flames danced, casting playful shadows on the walls. Atka unslung her bow and quiver, then disappeared into the shadows.

In the pitch dark vast wasteland, accompanied by the humid wind bringing never-ending smell to Atka's nostrils have made her into a firm and tough person. In there, Atka with her bow and arrows that she made from broken aluminum cupboards' edges, tied and combined with mere iron with tire rubbers and fire, also broken guitar strings braided into one as the bowstring. As Atka walked a few meters from the shelter, she noticed from afar, faint dim lights in afar are visible, indicating the wasteland's people were already in their own shelters.

She closed her eyes, feeling her surrounding, in the silence, she listened to the people's faint chatters from afar, giving a slight warmth in her heart. Suddenly she opened her eyes when she heard a small crackling sound made on the ground. "Gotcha."

She then pulled the string of her bow with her arrow toward the sound, it's a mildly sized rodent. Before she released her pull, she slowly point her arrow to another part of the wasteland. Far away, in front of this sea of garbage and rubbish, there live people with comfortable houses, delicious foods and snacks, refreshing water to use, and other conveniences people like Atka could ever be dreamed of, while she hold her emotion watching the far-away lights and bite her lips.

With all of her imprisoned emotions, she imagined how will Miki lives if they had never been born and lived in a place like this. She deserved better, they both were. As a tear came down on her cheek, she quickly point the bow and arrow toward the same rodent from before and release its arrow. In a glimpse, the rodent squeaks out to death, killed by an arrow launched with a damned power from Atka's heart.

Atka then reemerged moments later with a scavenged creature draped over her shoulder.

"It's a rat," Atka explained, her voice calm. "Not the biggest catch, but it'll fill our bellies."

Miki's stomach growled in response, a reminder of the hunger that was always present. She watched as Atka expertly skinned and prepared the creature, her hands moving with a fluidity born of necessity. As the meat sizzled over the fire, the savory aroma filled the air, masking the underlying scent of decay.

As they ate, the sisters fell into a comfortable silence. The crackling of the fire and the wind outside were the only sounds that broke the stillness. Once their meal was finished, Atka turned to Miki, her gaze gentle yet resolute.

"Miki, we've been surviving like this for as long as I can remember," Atka began. "But I've been thinking... There's more to this world than just scavenging and hunting. We could live better, Miki."

Miki looked at her sister with a mixture of curiosity and trepidation. "What do you mean, Atka? I like living here with you, eating delicious rats cooked by you, playing hide and seek, even if I easily get scared.. whenever I couldn't find you, .. and Oh! I also like looking at those lights at night, they're beautiful right, Atka?" Miki pointed her chubby little finger toward the Frontlands, not knowing what kind of lives live there.

Atka's eyes sparkled with unexplainable emotions beneath her heart listening to what Miki said. "S-Sure... ,Miki. I mean, ... it's time we ventured beyond our boundaries. There's something out there, something waiting to be discovered. And I believe it could change everything!"

"Woah!... B-But.. Atka.. what if... changes scary? I don't like it if changes would scare me.", the idea of something beyond the familiar confines of their existence filled her with a mixture of excitement and fear. Atka reached out and took her sister's hand, their fingers intertwining.

"We'll face whatever challenges come our way, Miki," Atka said with confirming tone, her voice trying to be as steady as she could to strengthen both of their hearts. "Because even in this wasteland, hope still survives."

And as the firelight flickered, casting dancing shadows on the walls of their shelter, the two sisters embarked on a journey that would lead them to uncover the secrets of their shattered world and discover the remnants of a past they had only heard whispers of.