Absence of Light

A heavy silence filled the tree hollow.

Harper remained quiet.

She could imagine the scene—a group of survivors setting aside their cold instincts in a lethal forest, sharing memories around a fire to build a mental utopia.

Yet, the cruelest part of the apocalypse was its tendency to tear such moments apart right when they were most beautiful.

"Until this afternoon," IronClad began.

His voice shif