They didn't speak much as they packed.
There wasn't much to carry--just the salvaged bag, the dented radio, a handful of supplies. But every movement felt heavier than it should have. Every item folded away was a memory, a moment, a breath they couldn't take back.
The fire had gone out hours ago. The hut was quiet now. Still warm with the echo of what they'd done. The floorboards creaked beneath their bare feet as Lily walked slowly, dressed again, but still feeling naked. Not from lack of clothing, but from everything else she'd shed inside these walls.
Her body was marked.
Her mind was changed.
Her heart... split open.
Marcus crouched near the old stove, refolding the tarp they'd slept on. When he stood, he glanced at her--at the way she hovered near the doorway, her fingers brushi
