Association

She let out a deep sigh, looking at me with a weary expression.

"Me neither…"

"I'm in an even worse condition."

"Well, we still have to do it," she replied. "It's not about what you 'want to' do, but rather what you 'need to' do."

"Okay," I replied, my vision blurring slightly.

I squinted and blinked a few times, clearing the blur.

"...?"

"Let's go then," I suggested, gesturing toward the back.

She nodded in agreement, the soft hum of assent floating on the air as she began to move in that direction.

She walked past me, I trailed closely behind her. With each step I took, the sound of small debris crunching underfoot echoed through the air, like the sharp crackling of a winter fire.

The sensation of the fractured fragments giving way beneath my feet filled me with a sense of satisfaction, as if with each step I was carving a path through the ruins.