the silent heartbeat

Chapter 21

Chapter 21

After what felt like hours of endless walking, we noticed the skies beginning to darken. The once bright day was fading, leaving behind the cool tones of twilight. Slowly, the aurora borealis began to emerge, casting ribbons of green, pink, and violet across the sky. It was mesmerizing—a sight none of us could ignore as we stopped to take it in.

As we watched, the world around us seemed to grow quieter, almost as if nature itself was holding its breath. The silence was comforting yet mysterious. We had walked long enough for our muscles to ache, and with each step forward, the thought of stopping became more tempting. The colors in the sky grew more vivid, and for a brief moment, it felt as if we were in a dream.

Suddenly, my stomach betrayed me. A loud grumble broke through the peaceful quiet, echoing in the open terrain. Instantly, everyone turned to look at me, their faces breaking into amused smiles. I could feel my cheeks flush, knowing I had just disrupted the calm of the moment. Berryl raised an eyebrow, her lips curling into a smirk. "Hmm, you're hungry, aren't you?" she teased.

The others exchanged knowing smirks, clearly entertained. At first, I tried to deny it, waving it off with a weak smile. "No, no, I'm fine," I mumbled, hoping they'd drop it. But my stomach had other plans, growling once again, even louder this time. With a sigh of defeat, I laughed and admitted, "Alright, yes—I'm starving."

Kaleb chuckled, running a hand through his hair.

"Then its final. We would camp on this base and make our way towards our journey tomorrow early." Berryl said.

We nodded in agreement. "Okay, that would be a better idea." Holland and Wallace agreed.

"Then we should set our camping site here before eating dinner, should we?"

"Yeah." I replied.

With that being said, we decided it was time to set up camp. Kaleb and Wallace took the lead, unrolling the camping tent and staking it into the ground. Meanwhile, Holland and Berryl gathered stones and kindling to build a small, protective ring for the fire.

I joined in, unfolding the camping seats and setting them around the circle we'd made for the bonfire. The chairs were a bit worn, but they'd do just fine for tonight. As we worked, there was a comforting rhythm to our movements, each of us knowing what to do without much discussion—like we'd all done this a thousand times before.

"Got the firewood ready," Berryl called out, carrying a bundle of sticks she'd gathered from the sparse trees nearby. Holland was already at work, using a bit of flint and his own skill to spark a flame. Soon, the fire crackled to life, sending warmth and light dancing across our faces.

Kaleb grinned as he finished with the tent, dusting off his hands. "There we go. A cozy setup for the night."

As we took a moment to admire our work, I felt a small sense of pride in our makeshift camp. It wasn't luxurious, but it was comfortable, and more than enough for our group. With our seating arranged and the tent up, we settled into our spots around the fire, ready to let the quiet of the evening sink in.

"Not bad for a quick setup, huh?" Wallace said with a smile, patting his seat.

We all nodded, content with our little oasis in the vast unknown, as the night settled around us.

After we have done everything, I finally heaved a sigh of relief. It was beautiful. I could take a picture of it, but sadly my phone is not working. I don't know why. It just sort of...not working.

We sat in a loose circle in front of the bonfire, our backs supported by our bags or rolled-up cloaks, the dancing colors of the aurora borealis casting a soft glow on our faces. Dinner was done, and in the quiet lull that followed, our conversation drifted from topic to topic, each one weaving a tapestry of stories and experiences. It felt warm, easy—even amid the mystery of our journey.