Riya walked carefully down the hallway.
She slowly put one foot in front of the other. Her legs shook subtly—almost unnoticeable. She could hear every beat her heart made. She opened her mouth a little to gasp for air. She was barely controlling her breathing.
And yet, she kept going.
Merlin walked beside her, his right arm hung over her shoulder. He kept his head down, as if trying to count every tile they walked over. Maybe he actually was counting, for a moment.
The hallway was dark. Every door they passed filled Riya with the thought that someone was watching them—but that was the least of their problems right now.
There was no light, save for the one from the half-closed door at the entrance.
After about ten more seconds of walking, Riya could see something.
Light.
Creeping out from the cracks of a door. The faint line was almost unnoticeable. The orange light pointed in their direction.
The sun was low.
It was a matter of time before sunset.
In the blink of an eye, they were only one step away.
Riya rushed to grab the door handle—but before she could, no… before her feet even touched the ground, Merlin yanked her back violently with his injured arm.
He glanced at the door.
Riya followed his gaze.
The door looked unnatural. The light creeping in almost created an outline around it.
"It doesn't have any hinges," Riya said aloud.
"You're wrong," Merlin said, pointing to the bottom of the door.
No—or very little—light came in from there.
Merlin stepped forward and looked up at the top of the unusually large door. He sighed with relief.
No traps in sight.
He looked back down at the bottom of the door, then stepped closer. He placed his hand on it and shook it back and forth before pushing it outward.
The door made a loud clicking sound, as if it locked in place.
It did.
"It's a bridge," Merlin said, looking at its length as it easily spanned over a deep pit that seemed to run around the building.
Beyond the bridge, the world opened.
What should have been wasteland wasn't.
Green grass stretched outward, uneven and alive, swaying softly as the cold wind passed through it. Trees stood scattered across the land, their leaves painted in colors Riya had only seen in old illustrations—deep golds, pale blues, reds that bled gently into orange.
Nothing was overgrown.
Nothing was dead.
The ground beneath their feet was dry and firm, cracked in places, as if it hadn't known rain in a long time. And yet, life thrived anyway.
The wind brushed against Riya's face, sharp with cold, carrying the scent of earth and something faintly sweet. It raised goosebumps along her arms, but she didn't pull back.
She forgot to breathe.
It felt wrong.
Not dangerous—just… out of place.
Like something that wasn't meant to exist here.
Merlin stopped beside her.
For a moment, even he didn't move.
The tension in his shoulders eased slightly, as though his body had reacted before his mind could stop it. His eyes traced the landscape carefully, not in awe—but in disbelief.
"This was supposed to be barren," he said quietly.
Letting go of Merlin's arm Riya took a step forward without realizing it.
It felt like standing before a story someone had tried to erase.
A garden pulled straight from a fairy tale.
Beautiful.
Silent.
And waiting.
As Riya scanned the blissful wasteland a feeling of irony settled in her chest. She felt like a child again.
She shook her head.
what a wierd thought for a child.
Merlin held her shoulder with his uninjured arm. The look on his face. He was worried... No he was uncertain.
Riya's fingers intertwined with Merlin's, her grip firm as she guided him onto the bridge. The wood creaked softly under their weight, but it held. The landscape unfolded before them like a painting, vibrant colors bleeding into one another as the sun dipped lower. Merlin's eyes narrowed, scanning the horizon as if searching for something he'd lost.
The air was crisp, alive with the scent of damp earth and greenery. Riya breathed it in, feeling the tension in Merlin's hand ease slightly. They walked in silence, the only sound the soft crunch of gravel beneath their feet.
As the sun touched the horizon, casting golden light across the landscape, Riya spotted something—a large pipe, half-buried in the ground. It looked almost... inviting.
"This way," she said, tugging Merlin's arm.
The pipe was dry inside, the air thick with the scent of old earth. It was a cave now, a shelter from the world outside. Riya smiled, feeling a sense of relief wash over her.
Merlin collapsed onto the dry ground, his back against the curved wall. Riya sat beside him, her shoulder brushing against his.
Just as they settled, the sky outside growled. A light rain began to fall, pattering against the earth above. Riya leaned into Merlin, her eyes closing as the sound washed over her.
Merlin's arm wrapped around her, pulling her closer. Riya felt his chest rise and fall with a deep breath.
As the rain drummed against the earth, Riya felt safe. But Merlin's mind was elsewhere. He stared into the fading light, his thoughts darkening. Why did it have to be like this? This peace, this quiet... it was a lie. Life couldn't be this gentle, this calm. Not for them. Not with the world outside waiting to tear them apart.
Merlin's grip on Riya tightened, his jaw clenched in frustration. It was wrong, all wrong. They deserved more than stolen moments of peace. But what choice did they have? The rain whispered secrets outside, a gentle reminder that this was all they'd get. And it wouldn't last.
We'd move when the rain stops, Merlin assured himself.
Where to?
Then what?
his heart kept asking questions he didn't have the answer to.