When I came to, it felt like my body had been dragged through hell and back, then left to bake under the blazing sun. Every muscle screamed in protest, my head pounding like I’d gone ten rounds with Kong.

“Ugh, how long was I out?” My voice was rough, the words scraping out like gravel.

Bones was sitting beside me, his elbows resting on his knees, face drawn but calm. “Must be 12 hours,” he said, glancing at the watch on his wrist. His face was calm now, but I could still see the shadow of that moment between us. The fire I’d tried to wake in him was still smoldering, buried under years of regret and caution. Typical Bones.

I rubbed my face, wincing at the soreness in my arm. “That’s the best nap I’ve had in years—who knew getting choked half to death was the secret?”

He didn’t laugh, but there was a flicker of something close to a smile. “You need to rest, Reb,” he said, his tone softer than I expected.

I swung my legs off the bed, immediately regretting the movement as pain flared through me. “We need to deal with those bodies,” I muttered, every word tasting like regret and fatigue.

Bones stood, shrugging on his old, beat-up overcoat. “Fine. I’ll handle it,” he said, grabbing a shovel from the corner. “You just take it easy and eat something real before you flake out again.”

Snatching an energy bar from my bag, I couldn’t help but smirk. “Yes, sir.”

He shot me a look but didn’t bite, heading out the door and disappearing into the rain-soaked forest. The sound of the cabin door creaking shut was almost louder than his footsteps fading into the distance.

I moved to the rickety table in the center of the room, the light from a single bulb casting long, sharp shadows across the walls. The meal in front of me wasn’t much—scraps from a pantry that had seen better days—but it was enough to keep me upright.

I chewed slowly, each bite doing little to dull the storm in my head. My mind replayed the kiss, the fight, the moment I pulled away. It shouldn’t have taken so much, I thought. Just a few words, and I’d cracked him open like a rusted can. His reaction... "Damn him." For a second, it felt like the past, like we were the people we used to be. It felt real, too real, and that terrified me more than the fight. But a flicker of the old him wasn’t enough. Not for me, not for what comes next. Some people aren’t meant to follow—they’re meant to be left behind.

The past doesn’t come back, and neither does he. Maybe that’s the lesson here. And nothing brings clarity like almost getting zeroed. Thanks, buddy.

I took another bite, staring out the window at the rain-soaked forest. The trees swayed slightly under the weight of the storm, their branches clawing at the air. And there it was, waiting just outside—the Fireblade. Gleaming faintly in the dull morning light, it was more than a machine. It was the way out. My way out. This isn’t my place. It never was. Some things—some people—you just can’t fix. And I’m done trying.

I finished the meal, wiping my hands on my pants before standing. Every step was a reminder of the night before, the ache in my body sharp and unrelenting. But it didn’t stop me. It never did.

The Fireblade roars to life, its exhaust note cutting through the morning silence like a battle cry. I swung my leg over the seat, not looking back. I didn’t need to. This was never my place, never my fight to finish.

The vibrations pulsed through my body as i revved the throttle, tires tearing through the gravel, the mountain air sharp and cold against my face. The inline-four breaks into symphony as i meet tarmac, the sound reverberating around the tall mountain valley.

Bones stops digging for a moment as he hears the noise, the Fireblade’s roar cutting through the morning air like a shot. His chest tightened, a pang in his gut he couldn’t quite shake. “Damn woman” smile tugging at his lips but the weight in his chest didn’t lift. Not entirely..

The world stretches out before me, vast and uncertain, and I take it head-on. Full-throttle straight into the unknown.