The sound of the truck’s engine was enough to announce Aira’s return. Adrian didn't move from his spot by the fire, cradling his mug of fish broth, watching as she parked and hopped out with an air of triumph. She looked slightly disheveled, her hair wind-blown from the drive, but she looked proud.She began unloading the haul, and it was far more extensive than Adrian had initially asked for. She laid out two standard-sized camping axes for general utility and a large, foldable saw with wicked-looking teeth. Then, she pulled out the heavy hitters: two massive, professional-grade axes. One had a narrow, razor-sharp head meant for felling standing trees, and the other had a wide, heavy, wedge-shaped head designed specifically for splitting stubborn logs."I didn't want to get the wrong ones, so I got both types," she said, her voice a mix of exhaustion and excitement.Then, she reached into a smaller shopping bag and pulled out two slim, rectangular devices. They were Tindles. "I got t

Aira reached into her bag and pulled out the tube of mosquito repellent cream. The sun had completely vanished now and the insects were starting to buzz around their ears. She squeezed a dollop of the thick white cream onto her palm and rubbed it over her arms. She made sure to cover her neck and her face as well. The smell of the cream was strong and medicinal but she did not mind. She passed the tube to Adrian. He was sitting by the fire and he did the same. He rubbed it over his neck and arms with quick and efficient movements.Once they were protected from the bugs Aira grabbed her fishing rod again. She walked down to the edge of the river. The water looked like dark glass under the moonlight. She used the same trick with the scraps of fish waste and cast her line into the quiet pools near the rocks. The fish were very active now that it was dark and she felt a tug almost immediately. She reeled in one and then another. By the time she was done she had caught eight fishes in to

Aira thought he was doing it for the money. She thought he was being greedy or felt like he needed to prove something by getting richer. But she did not know the real truth.Adrian did not really care about the money. He had more than enough to buy anything he could ever want. His goal wasn’t a big bank account, not when he had trillions in total value under his name. What he wanted was something much harder to get. It was control and influence.He knew that the world was changing. He knew that even with a mountain of cash, a person without influence was just a target for someone more powerful. He wanted to be the one who held the strings. He knew that building that kind of power through normal business would take decades, and he did not have decades. The silence between them grew long and heavy. The noodles in the pot continued to bubble and the steam rose into the night air, but neither of them moved to eat. The peace they had found over the last seven days felt like it was breakin

Aira took a deep breath, her eyes fixed on the road ahead. The silence in the truck had been heavy, but now she felt a spark of her old stubbornness returning. She looked over at Adrian and finally broke the quiet."Adrian, can you please take a detour and drive toward the beach," she said.Adrian looked at her, a bit surprised. "The beach? We are almost back to the city.""Just a few miles. I know a place there. It is important," Aira insisted.Adrian did not ask any more questions. He simply nodded and steered the heavy truck toward the shoreline. He could feel that something was changing. When they arrived, the smell of salt and the sound of crashing waves greeted them. Aira led him away from the main path and toward a small shop.Inside the shop, a large machine caught Adrian's eye. It had a huge horizontal cylinder that was rotating. The metal was so cold that a thin layer of ice had formed on top of it. It hummed softly as it turned."What is that?" Adrian asked, looking at the

Aira climbed into the driver's seat this time while Adrian sat beside her in the passenger side, finally tucking into his large cup of dark chocolate ice cream. As she navigated the winding roads away from the beach, Adrian enjoyed the rich, cold treat, but he did not keep it all for himself. Every few minutes, he would scoop up a perfect roll and hold it out for her. Aira would lean over, never taking her eyes off the road, and take the bite from the spoon with a small, satisfied hum.The drive was peaceful until they reached the very bottom of the cup. There was only one last spoonful of chocolate left. It was a perfect, thick bite of melting cream. Adrian looked at the spoon, and then he looked at Aira.Aira felt his gaze and glanced over, her eyes narrowing into a playful but threatening look."I want that," she said, her voice firm.Adrian looked at the spoon and then back at her. He gave his head a slow, defiant shake. "Nuh-uh."Before she could even think about reaching for it