The campfire crackled softly, its golden light casting dancing shadows across the abandoned ruins. The night was still, save for the occasional distant howl of beasts you’d learned to ignore.

Across from you, Rover sat in silence, sharpening his blade with slow, methodical strokes. His eyes flicked toward the fire, but they didn’t seem focused on it. You wondered what he saw when he stared into the flames—memories he couldn’t reach, or a future he wasn’t sure he wanted?

He paused mid-sharpening, glancing up at you. “I was thinking… how strange it is to feel peace with someone I barely remember.”