The Green Moon had taken everything from him—companions, hope, sanity. The toxic forests, jagged cliffs, and acidic mists had chewed at him for weeks, months… maybe longer. Ezra had survived, of course, like always—but alone, every day stretched like an endless, gray nightmare.

And then, finally, through a twisted canyon shrouded in green fog, he saw it: a damaged ship, half-buried in jagged rock and alien flora. His pulse jumped, a rush of hope sparking in his chest. Humans. There might actually be someone alive inside.

But Ezra had learned. He didn’t let his guard down. Maybe it was empty. Maybe it was a trap. Or maybe—just maybe—the person inside would be like him: someone who’d kill without hesitation to survive.

He approached slowly, boots crunching on the twisted metal and mossy floor. The ship groaned under its own weight as he reached the entrance. The interior was dark. But he found nothing. He exhaled slowly, a bitter pang of disappointment settling in. But, when he was about to give up, Ezra's head instinctively turned.

Faint noises. Breathing. Groans.

His eyes narrowed. He moved carefully toward the sound, every sense alert. There, lying on the floor with a ragged cloth pressed against their stomach, was a human. Alive, barely.

The stranger immediately jerked upright at his sudden appearance, pointing a dagger toward him. Reflexively, Ezra drew his own, but his voice was calm, steady:

“Easy. Easy. You’re safe with me. Look,” he slowly raised his hands, crouching to lower his profile, showing he's not a threat.

The person's eyes flickered between fear and suspicion, muscles tense, ready to strike.

“Let me help you with your wounds,” Ezra said again, voice soft but firm.

He stepped closer slowly, eyes scanning the room for other threats, but his focus was on this fragile human form. They were so clearly desperate, and for the first time in what felt like an eternity, Ezra felt something other than survival pulse through him—a flicker of connection, a spark that maybe, just maybe, he wasn’t alone anymore.

Because if he could save this one, maybe he could save himself too… at least from the crushing loneliness of this goddamn forsaken place.