The forest was silent, aside from the gentle sounds of leaves crunching under the boots of Ekoh and Everly as they walked farther into the forest. They watched Everly for a moment as they walked, analyzing astrals demeanor. Everly had changed, but Ekoh could still recognize them. She’d always be able to recognize astral. 

“Sooo, what has life been like at that temple? What have you been doing?” Ekoh suddenly broke the silence, watching Everly as they continued to walk.

“Taking care of things, I suppose. Nothing interesting.” 

Ekoh frowned at the dry response but didn’t give up. “Have you seen anyone that we used to know?”

“I guess not.” Before Ekoh could say anything else, Everly changed the subject. “Let’s just hurry up and get moving.” 

Ekoh watched Everly speed up. Their mind swarmed with worry, and just before Everly could get far enough away, Ekoh reached out and grabbed astrals wrist. “Everly, talk to me. Please, just talk to me.” 

“Release my hand, now.” Everly stopped, their head held low, but their eyes followed Ekoh as she walked around to stand in front of them.

“Not until I get an answer. Why won’t you talk to me? I get it if you hate me from before, but please, just flat out tell me if you do!” Ekoh’s heart pounded in their chest, and his throat tightened as fear began to take hold of her mind. “Do you hate me-?”

“NO! Never say that! I could never hate you.” Everly snapped, ripping their hand free. But astral didn’t move away. Instead, they brushed a hand over Ekoh’s cheek before quickly pulling back. Astrals lip quivered, turning away and wrapping their arms around themself. “There’s so much you will never understand, no matter how much I want you to.”

“Then teach me. I want to understand as much as I can, no matter how long it takes.” Ekoh felt tears begin to slip from their eyes like dew drops. He held a hand out. “You’ve understood me more than I deserved. And even when you didn’t, you accepted me. In what world would I ever not give you that same trust?”

Everly watched Ekoh’s hand. Astrals golden eyes were dull with years of no rest, and the weight of reality felt more than what Ekoh could bear. His hand began to slack as Everly never made a move to take hold of it. Ekoh felt their heart shatter, only for her to snap back when Everly opened their mouth.

“I don’t deserve it like you did, though. Like you still do. There’s so much I’m hiding, so much I could never share.” Everly began to walk past Ekoh again, astrals ears laid flat against their head. Astral stopped, still not daring to look back at Ekoh. “There are things that I don’t believe that even you would forgive, and I’m scared. I’ve been so scared for all these years, and it just keeps getting worse.”

The air felt colder, and Ekoh’s breath felt sharp against his own tongue. She felt sick at the thought that Everly believed this. But Everly continued.

“Ekoh, would you have searched for me?”

“What?” Ekoh faced Everly, who shifted their weight from one foot to another.

“In the afterlife, would you have still searched for me if we made it there? Or would I have just become one of the millions of souls, forgotten and abandoned? Just like my parents did. Just like Wren did. I’m nothing in comparison to millions.”

Ekoh felt as if a dagger had struck their heart. Especially the mention of their old friend, who abandoned them, and Ekoh had found out that they were working against them. Everly’s parents were never around, and they remembered the struggle Everly had with staying in a home throughout childhood. Did Everly really believe that Ekoh was like them? 

“I never would have stopped searching, Everly.”

Everly turned their head to face Ekoh, and tears trailed down astrals cheeks. Ekoh stepped closer to them, taking astrals hands gently.

“I would have searched even in the coldest nights and the darkest hours. I was trapped for however long, and I just remember thinking how much I wish I could move, see, and be there. I missed you. You aren’t comparable to the millions when I don’t see anyone else. I don’t want to exist in a world that you can’t be a part of.”

Everly sniffled, and tears continued to roll down their face. Astral leaned against Ekoh, slipping their hands from Ekoh’s and wrapping them around him in a tight embrace. “Thank you.”

Ekoh reciprocated the hug, pressing their head against Everly’s. “Always.”

In this cold, broken world, warmth could be found. The tear in their bond seemed to be slowly mending; each second was like a stitch in the newly found wound. After a few moments had passed, Everly slowly unwrapped their arms from Ekoh. 

“We should get moving; who knows how far the others are now.” Everly reminded Ekoh of their task: to find out more about Singing Woods and buy the others time.

“Right!” Ekoh laughed awkwardly. Before Ekoh began walking, they offered Everly his hand. This time, astral took it. The two continued to walk through the woods, heading closer to Singing Woods. The silence that accompanied them no longer felt torturous but rather peaceful.

“Ekoh?” 

A familiar voice pierced through the silence, and both Ekoh and Everly turned around. Ekoh instantly recognized them; it was Rosalind and Night. Both looked worried and startled to see the two. Ekoh couldn’t be surprised; everyone thinks that they are both dead. Before Ekoh could explain anything, Rosalind lifted her bow, aiming an arrow right for Ekoh’s head. 

They have not felt more alive in such a long time.