The bonfire crackled, tendrils of smoke into the expansive night sky above Zion. Shadows cast over the rocky cliffs where Joshua and his companion sit.

In the embrace of darkness, the burned man cradles a book in his weathered hands. Pages lit by the flame.

His stare penetrated the canyon's depths—eyes, a blend of frosty detachment and hidden warmth.

"This night echoes my youth," he spoke, a gentle cadence despite the steel in his gaze. "Simpler times; Yet nothing's ever truly simple."