Chapter 49: The Ways of the World
The snow fell in thick, heavy sheets, blotting out the moonlight and turning the world into a silent, frozen void. Zara’s breath came in ragged gasps as she sprinted through the snow, Leo strapped tightly to her chest, his small, warm body pressed against hers.
She had no idea how long she had been searching. Minutes felt like hours, and hours felt like days. The bitter cold burned her skin, but the chill in her bones couldn’t compare to the dread wrapping around her heart. Mia, Kit, where are you?
The absence of their voices made her stomach twist. She had asked too many questions, too many questions about their past, about their connection to that and his gang. Had she pushed them too far? Had she scared them off? The thought gnawed at her as she trudged through the snow, shivering with the effort and the fear that she might have lost them for good.
She paused, gripping Leo tighter as he squirmed slightly, his small hands reaching up to grasp her coat. Zara’s eyes darted to the empty landscape around her. Nothing. Just snow and rubble. Nothing to indicate where Mia and Kit might have gone. Her breath hitched, and her chest tightened as guilt swelled inside her. It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have asked. I shouldn’t have pushed them. They’re gone, and it’s all because of me.
"Please," she whispered to the cold night air. "Please come back."
Leo wiggled again, his tiny whimpers a reminder of her duty to him. She couldn’t lose him.
The thought of being alone in this cold world, with only the silence to keep her company, was enough to make her heart lurch.
But she had to find Mia and Kit. She had to. Who knew what could be happening to them?
She pushed forward, each step more desperate than the last. The snow was waist-deep now, and the wind had picked up, cutting through her thin coat, and biting her exposed skin. She stumbled but caught herself, her breath coming in uneven gasps as she squinted into the storm. A part of her wondered if she was just chasing shadows if she was fooling herself into believing they were out here at all. But she couldn’t stop. She wouldn’t stop.
A faint sound caught her ear. A crunch of snow. A familiar voice.
"Mia?"