Chapter fifteen: Town

William stepped out of the woods, his boots pressing into the damp soil as he adjusted his armor. He wasn't sure how much time had passed since he last saw a settlement—days, maybe weeks—but as he walked closer, he heard something unfamiliar.

Voices. Laughter.

The town before him was alive.

Not just surviving, but living.

Candlelight flickered through the shuttered windows, a soft glow casting long shadows across the cobbled streets. People bustled about, wrapped in thick cloaks to shield themselves from the eternal chill of the world. Some carried baskets of dried goods, others bartered in hushed tones. A group of children darted past him, their footsteps quick, their laughter like something out of a memory he didn't know he still had.

He walked through them, through the heart of the town, and for the first time in his life, he felt happy.

Not the sharp, fleeting relief of survival. Not the dull satisfaction of making it through another night. But something quieter, something softer. A world that hadn't yet fallen apart.

His fingers brushed the edge of his coat. He expected to feel the familiar gnaw of hunger, the emptiness that had haunted him for as long as he could remember. But it wasn't there.

He had eaten. He had fed.

And now? He was satisfied.

The thought unsettled him.

He shook it away as he reached the town's center. A small chapel stood at its heart, its stone walls worn but sturdy. The doors were open, candlelight dancing within. He stepped inside, drawn by something he couldn't name.

The scent of old incense clung to the air, mixing with the faint metallic tang of wax. At the altar, a single candle burned. He stared at it, watching the flame flicker.

For once, there was no pressing need. No immediate danger. No fight waiting just beyond the next breath.

Just this moment. Just the warmth of the flame.

His lips twitched. Not quite a smile, but something close.

He wasn't sure how long this peace would last. But for now, for however long he could hold onto it—

He would let himself have it.