Heat Death Infinity Splitter (Day 39)

The young man took a moment to regard his surroundings. There was a bitterly cold chill in the air, only worsened by the breeze rustling the brittle leaves. The trees in the area were skeletal and oddly menacing despite their familiarity, their gnarled limbs reaching out as if to confront some invisible foe. He wasn't far from home but in many ways he felt further than ever. Thought he'd spent countless hours exploring the woods near his home, he'd never weaved his way in between the trees with such urgency before. He felt the beginnings of a dull ache developing in his calves. He hadn't stopped in a very long time and had no intention of doing so anytime soon. He drew his worn cloak tightly around him and pushed through strands of trees into the wood's depths, taking care to avoid the brambles.

The last vestiges of the afternoon sun could be seen peeking through the slender trees. It would be dark soon and the man would have to stop. He knew this but he dreaded it immensely. As soon as he stopped moving he knew that his suppressed thoughts would creep back into the forefront of his mind. He doubted sleep would come easily. There was still so much to be concerned about, so much that he was not ready to face. It was far easier to push himself through the trees, now paying little mind to the small rips and tears in the fabric of his clothing. He moved with purpose, but even he wasn't sure of his destination.

Maybe if he pushed himself to the brink of exhaustion he would be able to sink into a dreamless sleep. Still, that would not erase what he had done. There was nothing he could do to make amends for his mistake. The man dared not think on it further. He struggled to blank his mind, to focus only on the task ahead of him. Despite his mounting weariness, he redoubled his pace. A particularly sharp branch opened a gash in his forearm but he did not slow. He welcomed the pain as it distracted him from his thoughts. His lungs were burning but he still refused to stop. He longed for it all to end. There would be no redemption for what he had done, but he lacked the courage to take matters into his own hands.

Soon he would ventured into territory that he'd never explored before. Scenery that the man barely recognized rushed past him in a blur. It wasn't explicitly forbidden to venture past the Lakara Wood but heavily discouraged. Dark tales concerning the fates of those who wandered into the Coramni Plains had circulated for as long as the man could remember, but none of that mattered now. He'd never believed those stories and even if they were true, it wasn't important anymore. Regardless of what waited for him beyond the wood, it could not be more fearsome than what he'd left behind.