Snow blanketed the road ahead in uneven sheets, swallowing the faint tire marks left behind by those who had once dared to cross Shinonome Pass. The headlights of the truck pierced through the fog like narrow blades of white, illuminating the skeletal remains of guardrails and shattered road signs that jutted from the slopes like broken bones.
The air grew thinner with every meter of elevation. The diesel engine groaned as the road inclined, gears grinding as Riku kept a steady hand on the wheel. The truck's heater had long since given up, and every breath fogged the air inside.
No one spoke for the first hour.
Only the engine's low rumble and the occasional rattle from loose equipment broke the silence.
