Deianira

Chapter 1

June 28th, 2026: Six and a Half Years After The Great Fall

Charlotte

The dense, moist air hung heavy with the addition of summer heat. Sweat dripped down Charlotte's back, making her shirt stick like a second skin which made her regret wearing a regular t-shirt today instead of a more breathable halter tank top, her fingers pulled at the top pulling it off the skin of her stomach. She shifted her weight from her right to her left as the familiar numbness began to spread from her ankle up to her knee. She knew better than to let herself sit down for the moment as the possibility of having to break straight into a sprint weighed heavily in her mind. Stunning hues of orange, yellow, and pink painted the sky before her, but the anxiety that pressed against her heart prevented her from truly admiring the beauty of the sunset.

She glanced at the watch on her left wrist, thirty minutes until the sun fully set. Thirty minutes until it gets a whole lot harder to get out of these ruins. The night was fast approaching, and the likelihood that this city had no infected zones was slim to none. Anxiety blossomed further in her chest only staying in place through conscious effort and knowing logically this was the best vantage point and her eyesight would spot him faster here than on ground level. Charlotte knew that Jonas should've been back by now, which meant he either got lost or was in trouble. Neither boded well. Her fingers twitched with irritation and impatience. She scanned the ruins before her for the hundredth time in the past 10 minutes. A familiar yellow color clouded her vision blurring the scenery before her. She allowed a shaky sigh to pass through her lips before closing her eyes to recenter herself.

Calm your mind Charlotte. Do not give in to your emotions.

With a few minutes of focus, her anxiety and irritation dulled into a low hum beneath her skin. She opened her eyes again to see the glow had faded, but an all too familiar shake returned to her hands. Flattening her palm against her thigh, she allowed a breath to pass through her lips in order to focus back on the scenery around her. The tall ruins that were once the bustling city of Las Vegas were now covered in vibrant greenery. Charlotte had never been to Las Vegas before The Great Fall, and the signs had been long worn out by rain but, just like any teenager before The Great Fall, she always dreamed about going. Something about the sights and all the vibrant lights had always appealed to her. Granted, now that she reflected on it, her interest may have been influenced by all her friends who were interested in it back then. She still remembered the days when they all sat together and drew up plans to go after they all turned 21. Nowadays, Charlotte had no idea where any of those old friends ended up and honestly couldn't scrounge up any sadness for their missing presence. She never really missed anyone anymore, and to her, she wouldn't have it any other way.

The sight of the ruins before her was perhaps more beautiful than the old Las Vegas would've or could've been anyway. All buildings, high and low, were now overrun with greenery of all types. Some plants were recognizable as fauna found before The Great Fall, others not so much. Next to Charlotte, in a dresser that could only really be described as a pile of rotten wood, grew wild roses of beautiful crimson. Such a simple symbol.

Plants from The Great Fall, from Olympia, on the other hand, took over the land in a storm making up 90% of the current fauna covering California, if Charlotte's estimates could be trusted. These plants glowed iridescently, making nighttime an otherworldly experience, and tended to be larger than Earth's natural fauna. The most noticeable fauna, and Charlotte's favorite, to take over the city of Las Vegas was the wishing trees. A forest of these trees grew right in the heart of Las Vegas. Wishing trees towered over the tallest skyscrapers, many even growing through the buildings, with bark like crisp white snow and leaves like stained glass. These leaves shifted colors throughout the seasons painting the landscape in brilliant beams of light. Currently, the leaves are shades of pink, yellow, and orange to match the summer climate. People back in Dragon's Plain believed they brought good luck if you owned even a single leaf. Water had put most of the lower part of the city underwater, which, when combined with the blistering heat of summer, made Las Vegas a sort of oasis; A very hot and sticky oasis, much to Charlotte's displeasure. One day, many years from now, Charlotte knew the remnants of the old world would disappear, and those who remember what it was like before would watch as their own memories of that time fade. Those wild roses would forever be the remaining reminder that Earth existed before The Great Fall. Such a simple symbol.