Kota sat on the edge of the cot. His feet hit the cold wood floor. He gripped the frame. He white-knuckled the wood to test his strength. The healing felt complete. The weight of Kova's darkness still sat heavy in his mind. He looked up at Leiya. She watched him with awe and concern.
"How long was I out?" Kota asked. His voice was steady.
"Almost two days," Leiya replied. Her eyes never left his. "We assumed you'd be out for a much longer period. You're full of surprises. While you were sleeping, I did some scouting with Thorne. We're in the barren stretch between the hubs. We aren't totally isolated. There's a settlement not far from here. It's a decent place. Real people. It seems off limits to raiders. They say it's because a doctor lives there. Even thugs know better than to bite the hand that heals them."
Kota nodded. His mind raced. "I need to get to that doctor. If they're the one I think they are, then they have answers to this sickness. We should leave now."
They gathered their things. Mira and Thorne led the way into the grey wasteland. The ground was cracked. The wind carried the scent of dust and old iron. As they walked, Mira moved closer to Kota. Her eyes were bright with curiosity.
"You were amazing back in the settlement," Mira said. Her voice was small against the wind. "I've never seen anyone fight like that. Where'd you learn to move that way? And how'd you heal so fast? It was like the wounds just vanished."
Kota didn't look at her. He kept his gaze on the horizon. His jaw stayed set. He didn't offer a word of thanks. He didn't give an explanation. He just kept walking. His pace was rhythmic. Relentless. Mira bit her lip and looked at the ground. The silence stretched between them.
Leiya stepped up beside the girl. She offered a small smile. "Don't mind him," Leiya whispered. "He'll warm up to you. It took him a while to even look at me. He has a lot on his mind."
Mira nodded slowly. She watched the back of the boy who saved her life. There was a wall around him. No amount of gratitude could break through yet.
Kota didn't listen to their whispers. He didn't hear a word they said. He was deep in his own mind. He was reeling from the gaps in his memory. He looked down at his hands. They were clean of blood, but he could still feel the phantom heat of the struggle.
Did I really save them?
Kota's voice was a low breath.
I have no recollection of doing this.
He searched his mind for the image of the raiders. He listened for the sound of their cries. There was only a blank red haze. The realization sent a chill through him. It had nothing to do with the wasteland wind.
In the silence of his private Void pocket, Kova sat. He was surrounded by piles of ancient parchment. The air was thick with the smell of old ink. He was nowhere near anyone. This was where he could read the scrolls and think. This was where he confined himself when things went wrong. He knew nothing of the true history of the Void. He was desperately searching through these forbidden texts.
His fingers traced the faded lines of a map scroll. It pulsed with cold energy. As he unrolled it, he found several documents tucked inside. They were detailed reports from a time long before the Kalamity. His eyes widened. These documents listed the locations of remnants from the old world. One map scroll had a different effect. It marked the cave where it all started.
Kova's brow furrowed. Only his father's name, Kalamity, was written on the scroll.
"Why did the King have a scroll belonging to my father?" Kova asked. "Why was this in the King's vault when it clearly belongs to Kalamity?"
He looked at the map again. The cave was calling to him. He was going to follow the map.