Carson

3/8/25
Carson moved silently through the dense undergrowth, his senses attuned to the rhythmic pulse of the forest. The towering pines whispered above him, their needles shivering in the cool breeze. His breath was steady, his grip firm on his bow as he tracked the faint traces of his next meal. But then, a presence—a shift in the air—made him pause.

Emerging from the shadows of the trees was Akira, her amber eyes gleaming with quiet confidence. There was a wildness about her, something untamed yet calculating. Carson tensed, wary of the stranger, but she did not move with hostility. Instead, she studied him, then asked, "Shall we hunt together?"

He hesitated, his instincts screaming caution, but solitude had long been his only companion. After a moment, he gave a slow nod.

Side by side, they stalked through the wilderness. Akira moved with the grace of a seasoned predator, her steps noiseless against the forest floor. She brought down a deer with lethal precision, while Carson, with practiced skill, snared three large rabbits. As they sat by the fire that night, their spoils roasting over the crackling flames, Akira extended an unexpected offer—an invitation to join her pack.

Carson refused. He had always walked alone, relying on no one but himself. Yet, as the days stretched into weeks, the solitude that had once been his refuge became an unbearable weight. The silence, once comforting, grew suffocating. Finally, he sought out Akira's pack, his pride heavy on his tongue as he asked to join.

It was within the pack that he met Snow. She was unlike anyone he had known—fierce yet kind, her laughter like the wind through the trees. Together, they hunted beneath the silver glow of the moon, explored the uncharted depths of the wilderness, and forged a bond stronger than words.

Time deepened their connection, intertwining their fates like the roots of an ancient oak. In each other, they found warmth against the cold, a companion in the vast, wild world. They were not just surviving—they were alive. And, at last, they were happy.