The sky still trembled.
Even when the earth finally stopped shaking, it didn't feel like things were back to normal. It was like the ground beneath their feet still breathed, still growled, still remembered what had happened an hour ago.
The villa was gone.
Not in flames or ash. But in silence. It had fallen half-broken and half-swallowed into the earth. Walls leaned like they were exhausted. Floors that had once gleamed now cracked. Windows had shattered. A long jagged gash cut right through the living room where they used to eat together. Adrian had stared at that crack for ten full seconds before saying, "We can't stay."
So they left.
The RV shook now as it climbed the narrow mountain road. Not from the engine. But from the world itself.
Another aftershock.
Bryce cursed under his breath and gripped the wheel tighter. He'd only been driving for twenty minutes and his forehead was already lined with sweat.
"Hold tight!" he yelled.
Julyah grabbed the seat beside her as the RV bounced. Loose supplies in the cabinets rattled. Somewhere in the back, Mira yelped as something landed on the floor.
"Is this road even safe?" Ellis asked, clinging to the counter for support.
"No!" Bryce snapped. "But it's the only one not buried!"
Outside the windows, the mountain road dropped off in sharp cliffs. Snow dusted the edges of rocks and trees. The world was still beautiful, if you didn't look at it too closely.
The next aftershock came hard and fast.
A deep rumble echoed in front of them. Then rocks began to fall.
"Shit—brace!" Bryce slammed the brakes. The tires skidded, but he pulled them to a stop just before a huge boulder rolled into their path. Dust and gravel flew. The entire road was now blocked.
Silence fell in the RV.
No one said anything for a few seconds.
Then Mira slowly stood and looked out the window. "So… we're trapped."
Tom groaned from the back. "Of course we are."
Greer opened one of the overhead bins and pulled out a crowbar. "We can move them."
"They're massive," Mira said. "And we're not exactly built like oxen."
Adrian was already climbing out. "We don't have a choice. If another quake hits, we need to be off this ridge."
One by one, they followed him out.
The cold hit hard and sharp against their cheeks. Wind whipped their jackets as they stared at the pile of stone and dirt. The road was narrow, only one lane wide, and the boulders had fallen right into the center. Some of them were the size of washing machines.
Adrian started pushing a smaller rock out of the way, grunting. Greer joined him. Mira stood back, arms crossed, before sighing and grabbing a shovel from the emergency kit.
Julyah didn't move at first.
Her eyes darted across the rocks.
Then she stepped away from the group and crouched behind the RV, pretending to tie her boot.
She didn't need gloves. Her hands moved to her wrist. A faint shimmer came from the tattoo there—like light trapped beneath her skin.
With one breath, she summoned them.
First came the pickaxes, folding neatly into her palms. Then clamps. Then a small, portable jack with reinforced grips. She hid them under her coat as she returned.
"Here," she said quietly, holding one of the tools out to Adrian.
He blinked. "Where did you—"
She shook her head. "Don't ask. Just use it."
Greer gave her a long look but didn't say anything. He simply grabbed the other tool and got to work.
It was slow going.
The boulders were heavy. Their hands got scraped and cold. Mira slipped once and cursed loudly, while Bryce muttered under his breath the entire time. But together, inch by inch, they began to make space.
Every time someone's strength started to wane, Julyah was there. She handed them energy bars from her coat pocket. A thermos of hot water. Another tool.
No one asked where it all came from. Not now.
Two hours later, they had cleared enough of the road to squeeze the RV through.
Bryce climbed back in and revved the engine. "Let's see if this beauty can squeeze past without a scratch."
The tires slid slightly as they inched forward, but it worked.
The RV made it through.
When they were safely back on the road, everyone collapsed into seats. Greer sat on the floor, head against the wall. Mira was half-asleep, legs sprawled across two chairs. Ellis flopped across the kitchenette like a bored cat.
Tom raised a bottle of sports drink and said, "To our fearless leader."
Everyone turned to Julyah. She blinked, startled. "Me?"
"You're always prepared," Greer said. "Even when you're not."
Mira snorted. "You basically pulled a mini tool shed out of your jacket. Who does that?"
Ellis smirked. "Secretly a magician. I knew it."
Adrian just looked at her. His expression was soft. Quiet. Full of something she didn't want to name yet.
She looked away.
"I just… like to be ready," she said. "That's all."
No one pushed her for more.
Outside the windows, the wind had picked up again. Trees swayed and the road curled downward toward lower ground. The worst of the mountain path was behind them.
But they all knew it wasn't over.
Not yet.
Still, the mood in the RV shifted. Less tense. More… hopeful.
Mira tossed a blanket at Ellis. "You're on dish duty if we ever find clean water."
Ellis caught it with a grin. "Deal."
Bryce reached back from the driver's seat. "Next stop, anywhere flat enough to sleep without rolling out of bed."
Greer pointed at a blinking red dot on the dashboard. "We'll also need fuel soon."
Adrian nodded. "We'll plan. We'll rest. Then we keep going."
Julyah leaned against the wall, feeling the RV hum beneath her.
The aftershocks hadn't stopped.
But they had survived.
And for now, that was enough.