LOCATION: AGARA — MOUNTAINS

“Then go.”

The man’s voice echoes from behind the glass—slow, calm, and carrying the surreal weight of a dream.

Echa's breath catches. She slowly lifts her head, an expression of deep, terrifying shock rippling across her face.

Echa quickly turns to look at him, He didn’t to look at her at all, just driving the truck. Quiet

“Did you spoke to me?” Echa Says while Leaning closer to see if he responds.

The silence was thick and awkward, just his finger tapping on the metal is all that can be heard.

Echa slowly turns in a scoff and takes a deep sigh

“It was me” the sound comes from back.

Scaring Echa like a cat, and making her stand and fall back on the speed change of the truck.

Echa Falls down with a THUD and Rubbing her back

“OUCH”

She quickly looks up and staring at front of the Truck in horrified way.

The Truck Slowly comes to the halt; the machine Humming stops as it slowly drops on the road.

The driver's side door clicks open, lifting vertically toward the sky. The man steps out of the truck, turning to look back at her with a genuinely worried expression. He places one hand on the roof, leaning comfortably against the frame of the vehicle. He has rich, tan skin, a neatly trimmed black beard, and a pair of grey-silver mechanical glasses resting up on his forehead. His simple green shirt flows gently in the soft morning wind as his calm, black-brown eyes scan Echa's defensive posture.

"You ok, kid?" he asks, keeping his distance and choosing not to step any closer.

Echa just stares back at him, her lips slightly parted as she swallows hard, trying to process the situation.

"Why don't you come inside? Riding in the back like that can't be comfortable at all. Come on," he says, offering a warm, reassuring smile before climbing back into the driver's cabin as his door smoothly shuts.

Slowly, Echa stands up in the truck bed. She glances toward the passenger side, walks over to the edge, and jumps down. Her heavy boots hit the metal road with a solid thud, her steps thick with hesitation.

"I... okay," she mutters under her breath, her voice incredibly low as she keeps one hand sliding along the outer rim of the truck, guiding her steps forward.

When she reaches the passenger side door, she looks up to see him through the glass. He gazes back down at her with a relaxed smile, his chin resting casually against his tattooed hand.

"Right, just a sec..."

He quickly snatches the book from the passenger seat, placing it onto a small storage box secured right behind the headrest. Looking back up at her with those expressive black-brown eyes, he instructs,

"Take a step back." Echa nods and takes a cautious step away from the frame as he presses a bright blue button near the main control panel.

Instantly, the truck door releases a sharp hiss of pressurized gas and glides straight upward, opening the cabin to her.

Echa hesitates for a brief second, but quickly steps inside and takes her seat.

The vertical door slides right back down and clicks firmly shut, sealing them inside the quiet cabin.

"How long did you know I was back there?" she asks quietly, turning her head to look at him directly. He smiles, giving her a brief side-glance accompanied by a friendly grin.

"From the toll."

"From the toll, right..." she repeats softly, slowly turning her gaze away to look out the side window as her mind races.

The ride remains completely quiet for a few minutes before Echa finally breaks the silence.

“Where are we going?”

she asks him quietly, her fingers nervously fidgeting with the hem of her dress. Her sharp red eyes glare over at him, demanding an answer.

“To my place,” he replies smoothly, turning to look at her with a calm grin and a small nod.

“But I want you to not speak a word until we reach there.”

Echa lets out a frustrated sigh, sinking back into her seat. After a few more miles pass, she turns back toward him, throwing a sharp, threatening glare straight at his face.

“Don’t think I’m defenseless,” she warns, her voice dropping into a quiet, ominous tone as she watches closely to see if he flinches or stops the truck.

“I am packed.”

He listens to her warning, but his lips just curl into an amused smile. Seeing his complete lack of fear, Echa quickly adds, “And don’t call me kid, either.”

The driver lets out a soft laugh at her demands. Without even looking away from the road, he simply nods in acknowledgment.

The surrounding terrain shifts, enclosed by towering mountains on all sides. Nestled right in the center of the valley, a small wooden house complete with a detached garage comes into view.

The wind is incredibly low here, and the sun hangs directly above the hovering vehicle. There is barely any human presence around at all—just a few stray goats running near the side of the dirt road.

The truck slowly halts in front of the structure. Unlike the rest of the high-tech, metallic facilities scattered across Agara, this home looks distinctly rustic and artistic. The vehicle smoothly lowers, its landing pads settling quietly into the soft sand below. He turns to look at her, a relaxed expression on his face as his side door clicks open.

“Welcome to my place, kid,” he says quietly.

His vertical truck door swings upward, and the heavy hum of the engine completely dies out. Echa sits frozen in the passenger seat, glaring out at the artistic wooden house, fiercely questioning whether she can actually afford to trust this stranger or not.