There was a tense silence between the two the next day as they crashed into the lush overgrowth of the vibrant forest. Thick bushes and vines crunched underfoot and seemed to reach for them invitingly, welcoming the two as they separated in the verdant landscape. The sun overhead cast a beautiful pattern through the leaf-top curtain that blanketed the pair. Though the sky wasn’t clear, the shifting shadows cast down were a spectacle beautiful enough to enjoy. Not now, though. Now, neither of the forest''s new occupants bothered to stop and enjoy their surroundings.


    “Look, can we just talk about this a bit more…” Jake tried to say, only to be interrupted as Alice violently shook herself free of his grip, hurriedly distancing herself with an angry grunt, fury still clear in her eyes. It had been like this all night and well into the morning, no matter what Jake tried, she refused to respond, too angry with him to talk.


    “Look…” He said, trying to push past the clear hatred she was radiating, “I wasn’t trying to upset you or anything, it''s just that this was always part of the plan, right? That when…”


    “Oh, great!” Alice spun around to look at him, her voice furious and dripping with sarcasm, “Glad ditching me was planned out, wouldn’t want it to feel random would we? Well, no time like the present right?”


    “Alice…” He tried to reach out toward her, only to have his hand swatted away, her teeth gritted as her face portrayed a look of clear and constant rage.


    “Don’t touch me, don’t get near me!” She called out, shoving him backward. He tripped over himself, falling, the back of his head slamming into a branch. His vision blurred a bit, he lay still for a moment in a daze. Still, he could hear her angry cries as she screamed out, “No point in it now, right? Don’t worry, I’ll give you what you want!”


    He raised his head just in time to see her disappear into the overgrowth, the edge of her cloak disappearing as the forest swallowed her whole. The foliage ruffled a bit as she left, but by the time he’d hurried to his feet ready to try and give chase, any trace of her was gone. Not even a footprint remained. Alice had vanished into the forest.


    <hr>


    Her blood boiled as she rushed through the overgrown woods, swatting away leaves and branches randomly as she rushed forward desperate to put distance between her and… him. Tears stung her eyes, yet she refused to let them fall. Refused to feel sorrow for their separation. Only focused on the anger she felt boiling within her as she stewed on his words.


    She’d been too na?ve, too trusting. She didn’t know why, really. Never had a reason to. Just because he’d pulled her free from the district, pulled her free from the Unbroken. Treated her differently from anyone in her life, and treated her like a real person. Let her see things she never thought possible, even in her wildest dreams.


    Still, if this is what it was all leading to, why did he even bother? Why did he bother stringing her along, dragging her from place to place? Lying to her, helping her, laughing with her. All if he just planned to dump her wherever he saw fit. So what if he was a bit kinder than all the other unbroken? He still tortured her like all the rest. Just found a new way to do it, a way no one had ever done before.


    Pausing a moment in the dense foliage, her head spinning, unsure where next to turn, she felt a single tear roll down her cheek, falling to the roots of the forest below. Her hand quickly rose to wipe her face, anger burning within her. Not another one, not another tear wasted on this.


    Why he brought her along, seemed so worried for her, tried so hard to help her, to talk to her… none of it mattered. Not anymore. He wanted her gone, so she was gone. His reasons didn’t matter. Still, a creeping doubt she couldn’t control fought against the raging anger that consumed her head. Fought to ask what he had been trying to say, wondered what he’d been trying to explain.


    Whatever. It didn’t matter anymore. She wouldn’t let this cage her, wouldn’t let this stop her. She was free… a freedom she could enjoy even if he tossed her aside. Turning around, she saw the dawn break through a gap in the trees above. Twinkles of light reflected around her; the morning dew stuck to the trees, creating beautiful arcs of light above her head.


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    The world was beautiful. She didn’t need him. She didn’t need to see any other worlds. Just one was good enough for her, it was more than she’d ever had for most of her life anyway. Drinking in the splendor of the forest, she stepped forward, ready to embrace it all, only to pause. Glancing over her shoulder back the way she came, she couldn’t help but still think of the journey thus far.


    Despite all the perils and horrors she’d seen, she’d have kept going. Kept falling through world after world, hand in hand with him. Embraced the splendor of the world, enjoying their talks and arguments, and the tricks they played on one another. She paused and remembered the promise he made to her the first time they fell. The backdrop of the leaves, colors she’d never seen before, falling behind him as he promised to keep her safe, keep her with him. Her bottom lip bit, and she muttered to herself a single word that echoed about the empty forest,


    “Liar…”


    Before turning around, retreating into the arcs of morning light reflected above.


    <hr>


    Jake was bent over, out of breath, leaning against a random tree as he hurriedly looked around for any sign of where she could have gone. He saw nothing. No obvious footprints or bent branches he could track. He might have learned a few skills necessary to survive from Rick, but he was by no means a hunter. He saw no clear path he could follow.


    Frustration boiled up within him for a moment as he let out a scream, punching the tree he was leaning on. This did little more than hurt his hand, making him feel like even more of a moron.


    “Damn it!” He cried out to no one, the forest still and silent.


    Damn it. Why was he such a dipshit? He’d just… panicked in the moment. Panicked, trying to explain himself. But still, he’d had so long to fix the situation, all night to think of an explanation. And what he had come up with just made things worse. Now she was gone, lost somewhere in the woods. Who knows if there was anyone else living here? Was there anything to eat or drink? Who knows if she was still alive? If he’d ever get a chance to apologize properly..?


    “DAMN IT!” He called again, his fist connecting with the side of the tree a second time. He pushed off from the trunk and carried forward through the brambles and ivy, determined to find her. Still… maybe this was how their journey was always going to end. That gave him a few seconds'' pause, his foot faltering as he climbed amongst the roots.


    They’d been getting closer, alone together as they fell through world after world. Promise after promise made on what they’d do together, what they’d try next. He’d been worried about it from the start, worried about how dependent he was feeling on her. Worried about the promises they were making, dependent on the unknown.


    This was how things were always going to end after all. Maybe not here, maybe not like this, but in the end, they’d always be separated. He froze, a bit of a shiver running down his spine. Paused like that, the silence of the forest felt oppressive as it closed in all around him. He couldn’t help but find himself asking why he still chased after her.


    She’d made it clear how she felt after all, her fury evident as she ran off. How hurt she felt at his intention to separate from her. He wasn’t quite sure why it hurt her so much, he thought that was always the plan. Always the goal to find her a place to call home. But clearly, he’d hurt her, ruined something between them in a way he may never be able to fix.


    She was gone now, run off into the woods, desperate to get as far from him as possible. Should he just… let her go? Accept this was how things would always end, accept that there was no clean way for them to split apart. Even now, standing alone pondering this, he could feel her absence, the lack of something he’d grown used to. A void.


    Was that why he chased her so much? Not because of a desire to help her, a desire to explain things to her, and ask for forgiveness, but simply a desire to fill that sudden void? Would it be better to stop now, turn back, and let her go? Stop while he could still learn to live with the void beside him?


    …No. He couldn’t let it end like this, let her leave so destitute. Let her leave so angry, driven away by her hatred for him. He knew this might be selfish. Self-serving to seek her out, knowing they’d still separate someday. He didn’t know how the pain of that loss would magnify, how that void next to him might grow, but it didn’t matter. He didn’t want her to leave like this.


    He didn’t want her to leave because of him. He wanted her to be happy. To choose a home that made her smile, a place she felt free to be herself. Wherever that may be he wanted to help her find it. Not drive her away, force her to settle for some random forest simply because of her desire to stay away from him.


    And should she still drive him back, still choose to stay in this world away from him, at least he could take comfort in knowing he tried. However small that comfort may be. Sights set on the horizon ahead of him, Jake pushed off from the ground continuing his blind run through the woods, passing under a dazzling display of light cast by the dew left on the trees around him.