𝖆𝖓𝖎𝖒𝖆 𝖎𝖒𝖒𝖔𝖗𝖙𝖆𝖑𝖊 ━ 𝖑𝖔𝖌𝖆𝖓 𝖍𝖔𝖜𝖑𝖊𝖙𝖙

𝔠𝔥𝔞𝔭𝔱𝔢𝔯 19

Logan and Verena had been hiking and camping through the Canadian Rockies for three weeks in search of the military base at Alkali Lake. They were only a couple of miles away now, so they made camp for the night in the snow, surrounded by towering trees that stood like silent guardians. Logan lit a fire to keep them warm, while Verena spread out a sleeping bag for them.

Logan pulled Verena close, their bodies instinctively seeking each other's warmth. Verena settled herself between Logan's legs by the fire, its orange glow casting soft shadows on her face.

She leaned her head back against his chest, letting out a sigh as she relaxed into him, his arms wrapping protectively around her waist.

"What're you thinking about, sweetheart?" he murmured into her hair.

She exhaled, her breath visible in the cold night air. "What if we don't find anything? We've come all this way, but... what if there's nothing to find?"

Logan pressed his chin gently to the top of her head. "If we come up empty, we'rg no worse off than before. We keep movin' forward, just like we always do."

He pressed a kiss to the crown of her head. "C'mon, let's get some sleep, Vee." They lay down on the sleeping bag, a blanket covering their bodies. Logan pulled Verena into him, keeping her safe in his arms. "Night, Vee."

"Night, Lo." She fell asleep in his arms, soft snores escaping her. Logan struggled to sleep; when he closed his eyes, the same nightmare came to him as it had every night since they began their journey. He and Verena were in a large metal room, two tanks of water in the center. Except this time, he and Verena were inside the tanks, and he felt like he was drowning. When he finally broke through the water, bloody and gasping, he clawed his way through faceless soldiers in his desperation to escape. But he never saw what happened after that—he always woke up.

When Verena awoke, the sun was starting to rise, its beams hitting her square in the eyes. She rubbed them, blinking away sleep, and turned over, expecting to find Logan beside her. Instead, she found only the warmth left in his place. She sat up and stretched, her back cracking in protest. As she did, Logan emerged from behind a stand of trees, catching her attention.

"Morning, Vee. Didn't expect you up this early," he said with a smirk.

"You weren't here."

He shrugged casually. "Had to take a leak."

She wrinkled her nose at his bluntness, shaking her head slightly. Rising to her feet, she stretched again, her knees popping this time. Without further comment, they turned to pack up their makeshift camp, both ready to continue their journey. Alkali Lake wasn't far now—just about two miles, an easy stretch for them.

They trekked through the dense forest, the chill of the Rockies seeping into their bones. Verena couldn't feel her toes; the cold gnawed at her through her boots. They walked in silence, pushing through snow and frost-laden underbrush, until the sun reached its highest point. Around midday, they arrived at the dam, ringed in barbed wire and ominous in its stillness.

Logan took the lead, moving with purpose, while Verena followed close behind, her senses alert. They approached a wooden gate, only to find their path blocked by an unexpected sentinel: a white wolf, standing at the entrance, its piercing eyes fixed on them.

The wolf didn't make a move to attack them. Instead, it turned, padding silently ahead as if guiding them into the ruins. Logan and Verena exchanged a glance before following, pushing past the rotting wooden barrier at the entrance.

Inside, everything lay frozen in a deathly stillness, blanketed in ice and snow. The facility was a skeleton of its former self—walls crumbled, rusted metal girders twisted and jutting out like broken bones. Buildings were hollowed out, their roofs collapsed under years of snowfall, leaving jagged remnants barely standing. Piles of rubble and shattered glass littered the ground, glinting faintly under patches of sunlight that broke through the gray, clouded sky. It was as if time had devoured the place, leaving only remnants of what once was.