Rejected by the Alpha, Claimed by the Beast
I would be bringing back the debt.
So I picked up another stone.
---
### The First Night
Night fell, and for the first time, it was truly dark.
There were no glowing LEDs in the sky. No "Night-Cycle" filters. The world simply turned away from the sun, and the stars came out. Millions of them. They were tiny, cold, and infinitely far away.
We sat around the fire. The smell of woodsmoke filled the air. It was a sharp, biting smell that made my eyes water. We didn't have food, only the water from the stream, but the warmth of the fire kept the fear at bay.