Meeting up

*Lydia*

Sliding her cell phone into her pocket, Lydia refocused on the urgent task at hand: distract without getting shot. She slithered beneath a gnarled tree root that protruded from the forest floor, sprang back to her feet, and resumed her sprint. Her legs and lungs burned with an intensity that felt like they were ablaze, each breath a desperate plea for reprieve she refused to grant.

In the distance, the dilapidated outskirts of the town where Cynthia had once taken her for refuge loomed. That town had been their sanctuary when the world teetered on the brink of collapse. "Please be there, Kyra," she whispered, her voice barely audible over her labored breathing. It had been so long since she had last seen her friend—if Kyra could still be called that. Time had not only transformed the world they once knew but had also changed them in ways they couldn't have imagined.

The dense forest abruptly gave way to a broad, half mile-wide clearing, the town's edge visible on the far side. Lydia halted at the boundary of the clearing, ducking behind a tree to catch her breath and gather her thoughts. She bent over, hands on her knees, drawing in deep, heaving breaths before steeling herself and taking off once more, sprinting toward the town.

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*Johnathan and Cynthia*

"While it's true that I don't want to die from lung cancer," Jonathan began, a smirk playing on his lips at the playful tone Khun had taken while swiping his cigarette, "this is how I cope." He pulled out his pack of cigarettes, his eyes glinting with a mix of defiance and humor. With a dramatic sigh, he added, "But I can find other ways to cope." His tone carried a suggestive undertone, as if he were testing the waters. Striding to a nearby trash can in the hallway, he tossed the pack away—a bold yet necessary gesture. He had been wanting to quit smoking for a while but had never found sufficient motivation—until now.

"John!" Cynthia's voice rang out as she sprinted down the hallway towards him and Khunara. Her hands trembled as she thrust a letter at him. "You might want to read it too," she said breathlessly to Khunara. "I don't want this getting out and causing panic, so keep it quiet," she continued, her eyes darting between Jonathan and Khunara.