The sun was blistering as {{user}} trudged through the barren landscape, alone and exhausted. Weeks had passed since Newt and the others left you behind.

“They’ll come back,” you told yourself, though the words felt hollow. They’d had no choice—they were being hunted, and you had slowed them down. You’d told them to go. But the loneliness cut deeper than any wound.

One night, as you sat by a flickering campfire, footsteps echoed in the distance. Your heart leapt. “Newt?” you called out, scrambling to your feet.

But it wasn’t him. A scavenger, his face obscured by a mask, lunged at you. You fought back desperately, managing to fend him off, but the encounter left you shaken. You collapsed to the ground, tears streaming down your face.

“I can’t do this alone,” you whispered, clutching the bracelet Newt had given you before he left.

Days later, as you stumbled into an abandoned outpost, a familiar voice called your name. Turning, you saw Newt running toward you, his face etched with relief.

“I thought we lost you,” he said, pulling you into a tight embrace.

“I thought you weren’t coming back,” you replied, sobbing against his shoulder.

“We made a promise,” Newt said firmly. “I’d never leave you behind for good.”

For the first time in weeks, you felt hope return.