The morning air in the Havenium village was cool and still, the scent of dew and wildflowers lingering as Snow made her way through the winding paths. Her boots crunched lightly on the gravel, but the noise seemed almost intrusive in the quiet peace of the place. Around her, Havenium villagers moved with serene purpose, tending to their tasks with soft smiles and hushed voices. A group of children ran past her, laughing as they played tag beneath the vibrant banners strung between the huts.
Snow paid them little mind, her thoughts preoccupied with yesterday's conversation with Rain. The words still sat uneasily in her chest, like a stone she couldn't quite dislodge. Rain, the eternal optimist, the girl who had dragged Snow through the worst horrors of the wasteland with that relentless belief in something better, had suddenly decided to stop. To stay here. To give up Paradise.
It didn't make sense. Rain wasn't the type to quit, no matter how hard things got. This wasn't like her.
Snow paused at the edge of the central square, watching as a few villagers gathered for morning prayers around the great painted totem. Their soft chanting floated on the air, melodic and strange, but she barely heard it. Instead, her gaze drifted toward the ceremonial circle where Rain had stood the day before, looking so enchanted by the Havenium's teachings. Snow's stomach twisted.
What if they'd done something to her? The thought came unbidden, sharp and insistent. What if this peace wasn't real? What if the Havenium had found a way to make people... compliant? Rain had been acting strangely ever since they arrived, and Snow couldn't ignore the possibility that it wasn't entirely her choice.
She shook her head, trying to push the thought away, but it clung to her like a burr. Her fists clenched at her sides. She needed to know for sure.
Snow's gaze darted toward the building where her confiscated weapons were stored. For a brief moment, the idea of breaking in and taking them back crossed her mind. If things went bad, she'd need to be armed.
"Snow."
The voice startled her, and she turned sharply to see Bishop standing a few paces behind her. His face was calm, but his eyes flicked over her tense stance and clenched fists with a flicker of concern.
"Life here treating you well?" he asked casually, though there was an undercurrent of something sharper in his tone.
Snow narrowed her eyes. She didn't trust the man—not fully. He'd brought them here, yes, but how much of him was still himself? Or had the Havenium gotten to him too?
"What did they do to you?" she demanded, her voice low and hard.
Bishop blinked, startled. "Excuse me?"
"You heard me," Snow said, her stance stiffening. "What did they do to you? What did they do to Rain?"
Bishop stared at her for a moment, his expression unreadable. Then, slowly, he sighed and ran a hand through his greying hair. "Ah...I see what's going on," he said quietly. "Come with me. There's something you need to see."
Snow hesitated, suspicion warring with curiosity, but eventually, she followed him.
The grave was a simple mound of earth marked with a small, unadorned stone. It sat behind Bishop's medicine hut, tucked away in a quiet corner of the village where the grass grew wild and tall.
Bishop knelt beside the grave, his hands resting on his knees. For a long moment, he didn't speak, his gaze fixed on the stone.
"This is my wife's grave," he said finally, his voice soft.
Snow stood a few paces away, her arms crossed defensively. "What does that have to do with anything?"
Bishop didn't look at her. "When we first came here, she was dying. Some kind of disease—I don't even know what it was. I tried everything to save her. Medicines, old-world remedies, even a few... darker methods. But nothing worked."
His voice wavered slightly, but he continued. "The Havenium offered to help. Not to save her—nothing could do that—but to make her comfortable. To let her pass peacefully. I refused. I thought they didn't understand. Thought I could save her if I just tried harder."
He shook his head, a bitter smile tugging at his lips. "I was like you once: believed that the village is a lie, the peace is what they try to hammer into my head. I was full of doubts, so much so that I didn't see that all I did was prolong her suffering. I don't want to lose her, yet I am losing her, because of no one but myself."
Snow shifted uncomfortably, unsure of what to say.
"It was her," Bishop said quietly. "And the Havenium. They helped me see what I was doing. Helped me let her go. She died here, in this village, with a smile on her face. And I think...part of me also died with her."
Finally, he turned to look at Snow, his expression calm but weary. "I stayed here because I had nothing left. I couldn't save her, but I could remember her. That's why I'm here. Not because they made me stay, but because I chose to."
Snow stared at him, her throat tight.
"I know you're worried about Rain," Bishop continued. "And I don't blame you. But trust her. Whatever choice she makes, it's hers to make. Just like it's yours to decide whether to follow her, or find your own path. If you think the Havenium is up to something bad, then I won't stop you, but don't you think it's a little bit unfair that you think they are doing something to your partner just because she made a decision that you don't like? That sounds like control to me, just like I was once."
Snow looked away, her chest aching with a mix of guilt and shame. She realized now that she'd just tried to force Rain to act in a way that made Snow feel secure. She says that it is to protect her, but why does it sound more like she just tries to protect herself? To spare herself the pain of losing Rain, even at the expense of her feelings.
Maybe it's not the Havenium or this man who is trying to control her, but it's me.
"I'm sorry," she muttered.
Bishop smiled faintly. "Nothing to apologize for."
He is right, whether path Rain decides, she will just wait for it. For Rain to tell her from the bottom of her heart. Then, she can also decide her own path.
————————————————————————————————————————————
Rain sat cross-legged on the floor of a quiet hut, the Havenium sacred text open in front of her. The pages were old but meticulously maintained, filled with intricate symbols and flowing script that seemed to hum with meaning. She traced her fingers lightly over the words, trying to absorb their teachings.
But her mind was restless, her thoughts tangled and heavy.
"Troubled, child?"
Rain looked up to see Mother Patience standing in the doorway, her lined face kind and understanding.
Rain hesitated, then nodded. "A little."
Mother Patience stepped inside, moving to sit beside her. "Your mind requires help. Tell me what burdens you."
Rain bit her lip, her fingers fidgeting with the edge of the text. "I just... I keep thinking about all the people who've helped me. The ones who've risked their lives for me." Her voice broke slightly. "The Niners. Gemma. Snow. I don't want to give up on my dream, but I don't want anyone else to die for it either."
Mother Patience studied her for a moment, then placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Your mind is not open yet," she said softly. "It is filled with doubts. Doubts about your goal, your partner, your own worth. But doubt is not your enemy, child. It is a sign that you are thinking, growing."
Rain looked at her, her eyes wide and searching.
"You cannot continue on this path alone," Mother Patience said gently. "And you cannot sacrifice yourself for others without first knowing what it is you truly seek. If you wish to stay here, let it be because it is your choice—not because you think it will save someone else."
Rain's breath caught, and she felt something inside her loosen, as if a weight she hadn't realized she was carrying had been lifted.
"The Haven in your mind must be your own," Mother Patience said. "Not a compromise, but a truth. If your Haven is out there, then seek it. But do not seek it alone. The mind is a vast place, and it can also include others, like one person."
Rain nodded slowly, a sense of clarity washing over her. "Thank you," she whispered.
Mother Patience smiled. "Go. Speak to your partner. The path will be clearer together."
Rain's footsteps pounded against the soft earth, her breathing sharp as she weaved through the village paths. The morning sun was beginning to rise, casting long golden rays that bathed the village in a gentle glow. Around her, Havenium villagers were starting their day, but Rain paid no attention to their greetings or curious glances. She had one thought in her mind—she needed to find Snow.
She had woken before dawn, unable to sleep after her conversation with Mother Patience. The old woman's words had burrowed deep into her thoughts, unearthing truths that Rain hadn't dared confront. But now, with her heart pounding and her resolve burning bright, she knew what she had to do.
She spotted Snow just beyond the edge of the village, sitting on a flat, weathered stone that jutted out over the hillside. The hill sloped down into a sea of green, the distant horizon stretching wide and untamed. Snow was still, her long legs stretched out in front of her, her back slightly hunched as she gazed out at the view.
Rain slowed as she approached, hesitating for a moment. Snow didn't turn to look at her, but Rain could feel the weight of her awareness. She was expecting her.
Rain took a deep breath, trying to steady the tremble in her chest, and stepped forward. "Snow."
Snow tilted her head slightly, acknowledging her, but said nothing. Her gaze remained fixed on the horizon.
Rain shuffled her feet awkwardly, her fingers gripping the fabric of her tunic. "I... I need to talk to you."
Still, Snow didn't respond. She simply gestured to the empty space beside her on the stone. Rain took it as an invitation and slowly lowered herself to sit, the stone cool beneath her. For a moment, the silence stretched between them, broken only by the distant chirp of birds and the rustle of the wind in the grass.
"I'm sorry," Rain said finally, her voice small but steady. "For everything."
Snow's expression didn't change, but her head turned ever so slightly in Rain's direction.
"I've been thinking a lot about what I said yesterday," Rain continued. "About giving up... about staying here. And I need you to know that the only reason I even thought about it was because of you." She looked down at her hands, her fingers twisting nervously. "I keep dragging you into danger, Snow. I keep making you risk your life for my sake. Gemma... the Niners... all the people who've died because of this dream of mine... and then you—" Her voice cracked. "You nearly died because of me."
Snow remained quiet, but her gaze softened slightly, her sharp features less guarded than usual.
"I thought if I stayed here, you'd be safe," Rain said, her words tumbling out now. "I thought I was doing the right thing, letting go of my dream so no one else would get hurt. But I wasn't living, Snow. I was just surviving. And that's not what I want."
Rain turned to face Snow fully, her eyes wide and earnest. "I want to find Paradise. Not because it's my duty or because I think I have to save the world. I want it because it's what I believe in. It's what I want to do. But I can't do it alone. I don't want to do it alone." She hesitated, then added, her voice trembling, "I need you, Snow. Will you come with me?"
For a moment, Snow didn't answer. Her expression was unreadable, her eyes fixed on Rain with an intensity that made the younger girl's stomach twist. Then, slowly, Snow's lips curved into a small, rare smile.
"You're an idiot," Snow said softly, but there was no malice in her tone.
Rain blinked, confused. "What?"
"You're an idiot," Snow repeated, turning to face her fully. "You think you haven't done anything for me? That you haven't helped me?" She shook her head, her smile widening just a fraction. "Rain, you saved me. Back when we just met, when we were in that underground warehouse, when I tried to kill you and take everything away and you just gave me everything without even batting the eye. Do you remember what you said to me?"
Rain furrowed her brow, searching her memory. "I... I told you that helping you is a reward in itself?"
Snow nodded. "Exactly. You help me, not by giving me those peaches, but by making me realize that living just to survive isn't enough. What's the point of making it through another day if there's no one by your side? No one who matters? I almost done it again, to rather be alone rather than be with others."
Rain's eyes widened, her heart thudding in her chest.
"I've spent so long pushing people away," Snow continued, her voice steady but soft. "Because I thought it was the only way to survive. But then you came along, with your big ideas and your ridiculous selflessness, and you showed me that there's more to life than just surviving. You're the reason I'm still here, Rain. And that is why I will not let you go for anything. Wherever you go, I'll follow."
Rain's eyes filled with tears, her chest tight with a mix of emotions she couldn't name. "Snow..."
Snow reached out, resting a hand on Rain's shoulder. "You're everything to me, Rain. I don't care if it's dangerous, or if it doesn't make sense. If you want Paradise, then let's find it. Together."
Rain let out a choked laugh, tears streaming down her face as she nodded. "Thank you," she whispered.
Snow pulled her into a firm embrace, and Rain clung to her tightly, her tears soaking into Snow's shirt. For the first time in what felt like forever, she felt whole.
The next morning, the Havenium village gathered to bid the two girls farewell. The sun rose high over the hilltop, casting a golden glow over the villagers as they stood in a semicircle near the edge of the village.
Mother Patience stepped forward, her presence commanding yet gentle. "You leave with our blessings," she said, her voice carrying over the quiet crowd.
She handed Rain a small charm made from intricately braided plant seeds. "For good fortune," she said with a kind smile. Rain took it reverently, her eyes shining with gratitude.
Next, she gestured to a strong, sturdy horse that had been led forward by a pair of young villagers. Its coat was sleek and black, its mane braided with bright yellow ribbons. "A companion for your journey. Trained and tempered by our best hands."
Rain and Snow exchanged glances, a flicker of excitement passing between them as they approached the animal.
Finally, Mother Patience turned to Snow, holding out something long and familiar. Snow's longshooter had been transformed. The once dull and battered weapon now gleamed, its barrel polished and its wooden casing painted with intricate Havenium symbols in vibrant colors. Snow took it cautiously, running her fingers over the carvings, like it's a blessed object out of some legend or fairy tale.
"Blessings, from the Havenium," Mother Patience said.
Snow gave a small huff of amusement. "Touch my stuff without asking again, and we'll have a problem," she muttered, though there was no venom in her tone. She slung the weapon over her shoulder, giving the old woman a faint but genuine smile. "Thanks."
With their gifts in hand, the girls mounted the horse and turned to face the horizon. The villagers waved and called out their blessings, and Bishop gave them a quiet nod of approval.
Rain glanced at Snow, her heart pounding with anticipation and determination. Snow met her gaze and gave her a small, confident smirk.
Together, they urged the horse forward, leaving the village behind as they set off toward Paradise.