(CHAPTER 3: THE JOURNEY CONTINUES…)

"Hey"

"Hey, hey"

"Wake up."

As she open her eyes slightly to take a peek, the blazing sunlight shoots through the branches, leaves and windows, right into her eye. She felt a sharp pain as she closes her eyes instantly before turning her head to the other direction.

"WAKE UP!"

She gasps as her eyes open completely. Her visions were blurry at first, she rubs her eyes softly before she is able to look at Hero clearly, who is crouching near her, snapping his finger to get her attention.

"Awake?"

She nodded, rubbing her eyes again before yawning softly like a morning breeze.

"Great, get packing, we are leaving." He starts putting items inside his backpack, clearing all the chests.

"Leaving? Where?" She seemed shock, maybe she doesn't know his situation right now. He barely survived with the resources provided by this forest. Her appearance will make this land un-survivable.

Between this girl and the forest, he has to choose one of them.

And he choose her.

He may not know what he experienced was all planned, but he followed his heart.

He shall explore the vast unknown land in front him, after they found a suitable area to survive and thrive they shall be parted to their own ways.

He looked again at the girl. Who is helping him to pack up his belongings? Maybe it's the fact that she let her in for the night, maybe for the fact of that boulder like back that she have seen last night. But either way she felt grateful for keeping her beside. She was new at this world, and leaving him would be a bad idea. She has made a decision to follow him until she knows how to survive in this harsh world.

She needs a wall for her to hold on.

And looks like fate brought her one.

She has finished packing all the items, while Hero has already gather up all the food he could find. It was not much, but at least it will last them for a day or two. He gather all of them and put it in a small sack he made using some leather he gathered during the last hunting trip, he also created 2 water canteen out of some small bits of leather as well as some natural bee wax too keep the inside water proof. He carefully took out the distilled water out of the furnace before pouring it into the water canteen. Water source is not very rare at this district, but clean, distilled water is still hard to get.

"Finish packin?" He put the canteen into the leather sack.

She nodded as she barely tries to balance with his backpack behind her, which is right now two size too big for her.

Hero tries to take his backpack back but she shakes her head as her grips tightens. She doesn't wanted to stay by his side and act as if what he did to her is what he has to. She needed to do something. He doesn't wanted to live under someone's charity.

She bit her lips as she stood there stubbornly, refusing to let go of his backpack. He signed as he took his axe and shield before walking out of the door as she follows him. As they walk out of the house, they took a last long look before shutting the doors up.

Leaving echoes inside the now empty house.