The night had been restless, but dawn did nothing to change the inevitable. It was still dark when Leonard got up from his sleeping mat. It was time. He and Vin had to leave. He wrapped around his neck a gray scarf the skeletal-faced mutant had given him. His new outfit included a blue hooded jacket, comfortable jeans, and a warm wool coat. 

After a simple, silent breakfast, he slung his backpack over his shoulder —guns, some food, his neatly rolled sleeping mat with military precision— and stepped outside the cabin for the first time since he had opened his eyes in that place.

The gray light in the sky did little to soften the long road ahead. Vin, always a few steps ahead, walked with a steady rhythm, nearly silent despite his size.

The path was difficult. Leonard tried to keep up with long strides, occasionally stumbling over roots, debris hidden beneath the undergrowth, or patches of dried mud. He didn’t complain, but it was obvious he sometimes had to jog to avoid falling behind. 

Vin saw him. 

Without a word, he slightly slowed his pace. It was a subtle gesture, but meaningful. He had belatedly noticed Leonard’s effort.

For hours, they walked through the remains of forgotten towns, charred farms, trees snapped like broken sticks by the fury of the Rainbanes. 

Here and there, small, twisted creatures watched them from the shadows. They might once have been wild animals —rabbits, squirrels. But not anymore. 

They dared not attack the human —not while Vin was near. His mere presence was enough to make them retreat and shriek.

A couple of kilometers later, they spotted a hunched figure in the distance. It was a child... or what was left of one. Its body seemed assembled from mismatched parts, like a deranged mind had tried to put it together without any logic. Vin stopped, raising his hand with a sharp motion.

“This way,” he muttered, veering off course without looking at it.

Leonard nodded, suppressing a wave of horror.

**

The rain caught up with them before noon. They found shelter in a surprisingly intact bus stop, its concrete roof still holding up against the elements. Leonard relaxed a little; it was time to rest. But the cold was overwhelming, and he couldn’t help but shiver. He pulled out one of his blankets and curled up in a corner, where the wind was less aggressive and the rain couldn’t reach him.

Vin, seemingly unaffected, stood still. That was another effect of being a Rainbane: not perceiving temperature changes like a human. However, his eyes remained fixed outside, as if the rain carried something more than moisture.

The mutant cautiously approached Leonard, bending his knees to meet him at eye level. The human looked at him, surprised by the closeness.

“Are you cold too?” he asked, trying to break the silence. For some reason he couldn’t quite explain, the gesture confused him. It wasn’t discomfort... it was empathy.

“Nope,” Vin replied softly. “Pay attention, Leonard. In front of you, there’s a group of Rainbanes. They’re coming for us.”

Leonard tensed immediately.

“Stay behind me. And if I can’t…” but Vin didn’t finish the sentence. 

He let out a guttural growl. He dropped to his knees, as if something invisible had struck him from within. He clutched his chest, gasping, and Leonard rushed toward him.

“Are you okay?! What’s happening?!”

He tried to touch him, but Vin brushed his hand away, not intending to hurt him.

“I’m… changing,” he whispered through clenched teeth. “This is what happens when… you stop being yourself —if you know what I mean. There’s no time. I need to get you to Eridanus. Before I become one of them.”