Travel with us

A few hours passed, and the scene was tense. Max had tied all five of his crewmates, while Garry attended to the well-built man, gingerly resetting his dislocated jaw. The other man, nursing a shoulder wound, let out pained shouts between grunts.

"Max, you traitor! How could you betray!?" the well-built wounded man said while Garry winced as he checked the wounded man's shoulder, hoping it wasn't shattered. The wounded man's voice trembled and he quickly looked away, "Get this large rabbit away from me! He's terrifying!"

Garry, who seemed deflated and defeated after being called terrifying, his shoulders slumped. In a barely audible whisper, Garry murmured, "I'm sorry... for being terrible"

As the wounded man heard Garry "Aaah! Max, get him away from me!" he cried out.

While Max's attention shifted to the two others who were knocked out by Aaron's powerful punch on the wall. They lay motionless on the ground. Max's hand gently touched the unconscious face of one of them, a tinge of remorse in his eyes.

"I'm sorry... old Guran," he whispered with a heavy heart, slowly pushing himself up from the ground.

"In the time I spent with this group, only you showed me kindness. You were the one who cared when I was sick, the one who comforted me when I was sad," he murmured, retrieving bandages from beneath the debris. His gaze shifted to their leader, who continued to resist and curse, while Aaron chatted with Clara, and Serena slumbered, her exhaustion a concern.

Glancing back at old Guran, his expression softened as he began to wrap a bandage around the old man's forehead. "Guran, I've made up my mind. I can't stay with this group anymore. I need to search for my sister on my own," he declared, moving on to wrap another bandage on the unconscious man.

"I hate looting dead bodies. It makes me sick," finishing applying the last bandage around his neck.

He sighed, looking at Guran, "Let's go out in the world... together, just you and me."

As his fingers found their place on the old man's chest, Guran's eyes twitched. His eyelids fluttered open, and he clutched Max's hand weakly, a feeble smile playing on his lips.

A cough rumbled in his chest. Max's smile broke free like dawn's first light. "Thank goodness," he whispered, his relief tangible.

Guran's laughter, weathered and worn, filled the air, a sound that carried the weight of memories and shared experiences. "So... you want to go out and find your sister on your own, eh?" Guran's voice was frail, like the fluttering of leaves in the wind. He patted Max's hand.

"Yes! Let's go together" Max replied, his voice alive with anticipation, his grip on Guran's hand unwavering.

"But I fear I that I'll be of any help, Max," Guran admitted, his eyes glistening with tears that held the reflections of a lifetime. His aged features wore the weight of his doubt. "I am too old... I'll only burden you."

Max's head shook in vehement denial. "No, no, you're not a burden."

"But I can't leave my son..." Guran's said while looking, distant and pained, to where the chief, remained restrained and cursing at Aaron.

Max's heart ached at Guran's response, "Am I not your... son?" Max's words hung in the air, heavy with hope and longing.

Guran chuckled, the sound interrupted by a fit of coughing that racked his frail form. "You are my son as well, and I don't want you to leave me either," Guran's voice trembled. He eased himself to sit, his back finding support against a half-shattered wall "Listen, Max, life is too short... if you stayed with us you will never be able to find your sister or to complete your dreams." Max's eyes brimmed with unshed tears, his emotions threatening to overflow. He embraced Guran tightly, each heartbeat resonating with their connection.

Guran's weathered hand found its way to Max's head, a gesture of affection and pride. "Ah, Max, look at you, grown so swiftly, as if time itself races to keep up."

His gaze then shifted to Aaron, who stood nearby, arms crossed in conversation with Clara and Garry the rabbit. "Your new friends... they are quite strange" Guran observed, a note of amusement in his voice. Max's laughter bubbled forth like a clear stream, mingling with his tears. He nodded, his heart lighter.

Guran's smile slowly faded, His voice carried a solemn tone as he addressed Max, "Ask your friends to release this old man and your crew... I understand your hatred towards them, but—" Max interrupted, nodding in understanding, "Yes, yes, I'll do it."

Relief seemed to wash over Guran's features, his aged countenance bearing witness to the years he carried on his shoulders. Max wiped his tears, summoning resolve, and rose to his feet. Guran inclined his head slowly before leaning back, surrendering to the embrace of closed eyelids.

Max turned his attention to Aaron, feeling a mixture of gratitude and tension in his chest.

"Thanks," Aaron's voice held a warmth that Max hadn't witnessed before, a smile playing upon his lips. It was a stark contrast to the memory of Aaron's swift destruction of their surroundings and his effortless defeat of five adversaries.

Max cleared his throat, his fingers fidgeting with nervous energy. "I wanted to talk to you about something," he admitted, his voice tinged with uncertainty.

"Will you consider letting us go? I promise we won't cause any trouble, we'll just leave for a distant place," Max's plea carried a sense of desperation, his eyes searching Aaron's for a sign of leniency.

Meanwhile, Garry hopped onto the edge of a bed, and Serena lay reclined nearby, eyes closed. Clara hovered over Aaron's shoulder.

Clara's words caught Max off guard, "I thought you were going to join us?"

Confusion etched Max's features as he responded, "Join you? What do you mean?" It was Aaron who replied, while his gaze fixed on the ruins of the city beyond. "You're looking for someone, right?" Aaron's voice was matter-of-fact as he stepped outside, his eyes tracing the contours of a collapsing building.

Clara's voice resonated with a sense of camaraderie, "You can travel with us. Aaron is heading to Boston" She took a seat on Aaron's shoulder

Max's expression shifted from confusion to awe as the proposition settled in.

"You want me to travel with you?" he managed to utter, his voice tinged with both surprise and hope. Clara's nod was affirmative, and she explained, "You're on a quest to find your sister, right? Well, you can accompany us on our journey to Boston."

The weight of her words settled in, and a smile tugged at the corners of Max's lips. "That sounds incredible, but why are you headed to Boston?" he inquired.

Aaron's footsteps led him out of the medical store, into the midst of the devastated cityscape.

His gaze was focused on a distant building collapsing "...To find out who I am,"