Forged In Freedom

Chapter 2 - New mind, who's this?

Hi! It's finally my turn to write in our... journal? Diary? Whatever, it's my turn, and that's all that matters. After the campfire last night, we woke up to the first real day of freedom—finally free to think, feel, and act for ourselves. I can't even begin to explain how excited I was. So excited, in fact, that I decided to go for a morning jog. I told the others it was an "early morning scouting mission," but who was I kidding? I just wanted to stretch my legs and explore.

But of course, there's always something I forget—like Kai. Somehow, he saw right through my plan and decided to tag along. He said something about "watching over the youngest and most reckless." Legion didn't think it was safe for me to go out alone, so Kai volunteered, playing the responsible older brother type. It's annoying, but at least we got some scouting done.

We decided to move west, toward the Nightwood Forest. It's supposed to be so dense that even at midday, it's as dark as night inside. As we got closer, Kai looked uneasy.

"I don't think going in there alone is a good idea," Kai said, slowing his pace. "You might be fast, but the two of us? Not exactly known for great ideas."

I smirked. Typical Kai, all muscle, no brains.

"Relax," I said, waving him off. "I know what I'm doing. I'm our scout, remember? I'll just head in a few hundred meters, check it out, and be back before you know it. Besides, no one asked you to come with me. If you want to wait outside and miss out on the true essence of adventure, be my guest."

Kai shook his head. "Yeah, no. I came so you could have your fun without Legion sending Phoenix or your sister after you. But that doesn't mean you get to pull some stunt without checking in first. And as for your 'essence of adventure'? It'll still be here when the others arrive. At least then, it'll be safer."

Okay, maybe he had a point. If we waited for everyone, though, Phoenix would just send her drones in first. Where's the fun in that? Is it even an adventure if you already know it's safe?

"Tell you what," I said, stopping in front of the wall of towering trees. Each one was massive, their thick trunks looking like they could support an entire house. The branches above swayed with the wind, casting shadows that gave off an eerie sense of dread. "I'll go in, scout ahead. You count to ten. After that, you can message me or come in after me if you're too worried. If I don't respond, then call for backup. Deal?"

Kai frowned, his arms crossed, but I could see him thinking it over. Finally, he nodded. "Fine. But one condition—you don't use your limiter. Stick to normal human speed, or it's off."

I grinned. He didn't know I could still outrun most humans even without the limiter. This would be fun.

"Deal! Minimum of ten seconds," I said, already positioning myself for the run.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm not gonna cheat you," he muttered.

I almost felt bad about what I was about to do. Almost.

"Ready... set... go!" I took off, faster than Kai could blink. No limiter, but still fast enough to leave him eating my dust. As I sped into the forest, I couldn't help but imagine the look of disbelief on his face.

I ran through the trees, feeling the wind whip past my face. There was something exhilarating about this—being free, running as fast as I could, no one to slow me down. The forest was dark, almost like stepping into another world. Everything outside was still morning, bright and alive, but here? It felt like nighttime, the shadows thick, the trees looming overhead like giants. If I didn't know better, I'd say this place was alive, watching me.

I'd almost forgotten about the whole "scout mission" cover story. This was pure fun. Sure, I was technically scouting, but really? I just wanted to explore. The others were too careful, too cautious. Where's the thrill in that?