Review done on 02/23/26
Perhaps you're thinking, "Oh dear, this author abandoned the work," but don't worry, I haven't.
Due to lack of time, the pace is slow, but I'm revising the work, especially the beginning, because I felt it was weak in terms of narrative, vividness, quality, and other aspects.
I don't want to build a house on a weak foundation, so I came back to fix these errors and improve the text. I hope you enjoy it!
***
In the middle of a canyon, shrouded in dense vegetation, a group of five people followed a trail.
Surrounded by two massive walls that—though they appeared as single pieces—upon closer inspection, where the thick cover of leaves and branches had fallen away, windows and concrete walls lay exposed; ruins of abandoned buildings.
Amid this, the group advanced in single file, carrying backpacks and wearing clothes that concealed their entire bodies, leaving only a strip across their eyes visible. In natural colors, the garments kept them camouflaged within the environment as they moved in absolute silence—until one of them, with a feminine and childish voice, broke it.
"Big brother…" With her hand, she tugged at the hem of the person walking just ahead, who responded by glancing back over his shoulder. "…can we play a little when we get there?" She spoke in a low tone, just loud enough for those nearby to hear.
"Well…" Thoughtful, he turned his gaze forward again.
With similar clothing covering them, it was impossible to tell their appearances apart, but he, taller than the others, carried a bow in his hands and a quiver at his waist, leading the line.
I don't think it would be a problem to stay a little longer after we finish…
While still thinking, before he could decide, another feminine voice called to him.
"Seven…"
This one came from the end of the line and lacked the childish tone of the previous; it belonged to someone who had already reached puberty.
"…Wouldn't it be dangerous? Staying there too long? Since we're so close to the center of the city?" Though faint, a trace of fear permeated her voice as she spoke.
That… Closing his eyes, Seven fell silent.
Within the city, the closer one got to the center, the more dangerous it tended to be. Covered by vast forest, it was home to a wide variety of animals and other beings, among them one of the most dangerous and common: the beasts.
The center of the city is indeed dangerous, but…
"Ísis, this place is close when you consider where we usually go, but it's not dangerous enough to worry about. If it were, we wouldn't even be here. Of course, that doesn't mean we can act the same way we do in other parts of the city—we need to be careful, since we could still run into medium-sized beasts or larger animals, but…"
Looking up, he saw the sun shining in the sky, though it had already passed its highest point.
"…if everything goes well, we can stay there another half hour, at most."
That should give us enough time to reach a safe place before sunset.
"Thank you, big brother!"
Pleased with the answer, his youngest sister whispered something to the two following her, which drew a few muffled giggles.
Ísis, however, with a fearful look, turned her attention back to the position of the sun.
"…"
Continuing along the trail in silence, the environment began to change. Large fallen blocks from buildings, covered in moss, lichen, and small shrubs, started to pile up along the path. Though heaped near the bases of the structures and not blocking the way, the route was far from perfect—a wide trench cut across it.
It looks bigger than the last time I came here.
Stopping near the edge, Seven scanned the two directions the trench extended.
Much longer than one or two streets, dozens of meters across, it cut through more than ten rows of parallel buildings in both directions.
"Let's cross to the other side—there's no way forward here…" Looking ahead, a collapsed building blocked their current trail.
After a quick check of the trench floor, Seven jumped in, sliding down the bank to soften the landing. Once at the bottom, he brushed off his clothes and turned to the others.
"Come on."
One by one, with his help, they descended before resuming their walk. But after just a few steps, Seven noticed something odd—his feet were sinking into mud.
The ground is really waterlogged after this year's rains…
At a slower pace, the group trudged through the mire when Seven felt a tug on his clothing.
"?"
"Big brother… my leg is getting stuck…" Pointing downward, the mud reached the edge of her boot—she was one of the smallest in the group.
Realizing they still had a long way to go before getting out, Seven shifted his backpack forward—
"Come here."
—and knelt, offering his back.
"Yay!"
His sister approached cheerfully, but suddenly stopped, looking dejected.
"Big brother… I'll get your clothes dirty if I climb up…" Head lowered, she stared sadly at her mud-covered clothes.
"What? Don't worry about that, Mia—I'll just wash them when we get home. But if you don't want to, that's fine too."
As he started to stand, she quickly interrupted.
"I want to!"
This time without hesitation, she jumped onto his back and, smiling with her eyes, clung tightly to him.
"Eh, eh…"
Rising, Seven glanced at his siblings following close behind.
"Can you keep going, Victor?"
"…Yeah."
His brother, mud also covering part of his leg, breathed heavily but kept moving forward.
"Alright then…" With heavier steps, Seven continued.
As he walked, looking ahead, his gaze soon fixed on the end of the trench—a large metallic structure that stood out against the surrounding vegetation and concrete.
It looks like the skeleton of an airplane… Seven imagined it was what caused all that destruction.
Resting on a flat base, various metallic beams extended from its sides and met in an arch, like ribs. Several meters long, its tip pointed upward, held in place by one of the buildings.
After a few long minutes traversing the trench, they reached the street on the other side.
"One moment."
Setting his sister down, he climbed the bank to the top and scanned the area.
It's safe. No different from the previous street, with walls on both sides and vegetation covering them—the place was empty.
Finishing the climb, he stepped out of the trench and turned back to his siblings.
"Come on." He said, extending his arm.
Once everyone was out, Seven turned toward the path.
"We're almost there." He said, pointing ahead to where the route ended.
Picking up the pace, the group moved between the buildings until they reached the end of the valley, where a wide landscape enveloped them, accompanied by a cold breeze that greeted the group.
"Wow!!" Stunned, everyone stopped to admire the sight.
A vast emptiness among the buildings, covered by a plain of low grass swaying like waves in the wind, while a large lake sat exactly in the center, reflecting the sunlight.
Enchanted by the view, Ísis murmured:
"How beautiful…"
"Yeah… the first time I came here with Dad, I was amazed too…"
Standing still, both kept their eyes fixed on the landscape.
"Yeah…"
"I've never seen such a big lake, or even such an open area… I wonder how it formed…"
A void of buildings right in the middle of the city…
Turning his gaze to the edges, Seven saw long rows of vegetation-covered buildings encircling the area on all sides, like walls.
While the two were still admiring the place, the three younger ones had already broken formation and were running toward the lake. One of them turned back, noticing his siblings still standing, removed the cloth covering his face, and called out.
"Come on, why are you still standing there!?"
Around thirteen years old, he had light brown hair and a big smile, along with a small scar on his cheek.
In response, Seven shouted:
"We're coming!"
Starting to walk, he took a few steps while glancing sideways, calling to his sister.
"I—"
But stopping, he turned fully toward her, slightly alarmed.
Ísis had frozen, staring fixedly at the plains surrounding the lake while clutching the edges of her clothes tightly.
"—What's wrong? Did you see something? Ísis?!"
Seven followed her gaze, shifting from the plain to his sister.
At that moment, as if snapping out of it, she shook her head in denial.
"It's nothing… I just got a little out of breath, that's all."
She quickly passed by him and followed her younger siblings.
"…"
Still standing, Seven watched her hurry away, then looked back at the exact spot she had been staring at.
"Come on, brother! Let's finish this quick!"
Turning forward, he started walking.
"…Yeah! I'm coming!"
***
Some time later, beside the lake, the group was organized: four people stood in a line, facing a fifth.
Without the cloths covering their heads, their youthful appearances were revealed—someone who had already reached adolescence, with sharper, more serious features and dark brown hair.
"Look at these two plants—" He said, holding one in each hand. "They may look similar, but if you look closely, you'll see one has a weaker color. That's the one we came for."
Raising one hand, he indicated the darker one.
"They grow near the edges of the lake, so be careful not to fall in—the water must be very cold this time of year… —While speaking, a boy in the line raised his hand— what is it, Leon?"
"And the other one?"
Positioned at one end of the line, he was nearly as tall as Seven, though his face still held childish features. With light brown hair and a small scar on his cheek, he looked attentively at him.
"It's useless—just a regular plant."
Tossing it aside, he bent down and picked up a backpack near his feet.
"Once you pick them, store them carefully—don't put them near your knives or flint, or they'll get wet."
"But what is the one we came for used for, brother?"
Raising his eyes, Seven turned to the pair of similar-looking children with golden-blond hair that shimmered in the sunlight, distinguishable only by hair length—one short, one long.
Specifically to the boy.
"It's a strong medicinal herb, Victor. When we get home, we'll grind it into powder to use as a painkiller."
With a worried look, Mia—standing beside Victor—turned to Seven.
"Big brother… if we pick the wrong one, will something bad happen?? I don't know if I'll be able to tell them apart…"
Pausing for a moment, Seven thought. "As far as I know, no—but it would be a problem if we brought back the wrong plants, since we only harvest these once a year… I know! Let's do it in pairs: one older with one younger. One picks, the other carries and stores. Leon and Victor together, and Mia—you can go with Ísis?"
Turning to her, Seven looked toward the opposite end of the line, where an adolescent girl with long dark brown hair—almost black—stood. Though young, her delicate features hinted at the beautiful woman she would become.
"I don't see any problem with that…" She nodded in agreement.
"Alright then—go ahead and start."
As he stood and turned away, the pairs separated, leaving Seven alone.
Approaching the lake, Ísis entered the tall vegetation surrounding it, with Mia right behind her, holding onto her clothes so as not to get lost.
After a few minutes, reaching the water's edge, the pair stopped.
It's even more beautiful up close… Admiring the lake's size, Ísis fixed her eyes on the ripples in the water.
"Wow! So many!" Excited, Mia's comment snapped her out of it.
Crouching near the water, Ísis began searching among the plants for the medicinal herb.
In the crystal-clear water, various tips emerged from the lakebed and reached the surface, swaying with the movement of the waves.
"…There aren't that many, Mia. Most of them aren't the right ones—look at the color of the leaves."
Even if slight, Ísis noticed that some had a darker tone than the rest—and those were the minority.
Stretching her arm, she grabbed the tip of one and pulled; it came free easily, root and all.
Turning, she went to hand it to Mia. "Here, take it…? —but she stopped, realizing something— Where's your backpack?"
"It's… here?"
Reaching behind her back, Mia didn't feel it.
"Hm?"
After looking back and not finding it, she turned to her sister with a lost expression.
"…"
In seconds, as if a light had turned on, her face changed.
"I forgot—I took it off when we got here!"
Without wasting time, she turned and ran back.
Ísis, watching expressionlessly, let out a sigh and a small smile escaped her.
"Honestly…"
Setting the plant aside, she began searching for the next one.
They're quite far apart… I wonder if that's because they always pick the ones closest first…
Stretching her arm with difficulty, she tried to reach another plant.
"Almost there…"
That's when she began hearing the sound of something approaching.
"Mia, you're back already?"
"…"
Focused on reaching the plant, Ísis kept trying until her fingertips grasped it and she started to pull.
"You were fast—so I haven't picked any others yet, just this one next to me."
"…"
"Mia?"
Finally yanking it free and bothered by her sister's silence, she turned.
"Why aren't you—"
…
Seven, some distance from the lake, watched where the city met the plain, bow in hand and arrow already nocked. A strong breeze passed, rippling the low grass toward the buildings.
"It's easy to spot anything coming…"
More relaxed, he looked around and turned back to the lake. The vegetation surrounding it—like gray sticks—encircled the entire body of water. Tall, nearly two meters high, it completely hid his siblings.
Seeing some of the stalks moving in his direction, he watched Mia emerge from the greenery, looking around.
She must have forgotten something…
Spotting it, she ran toward the only tree in the plain.
It was short with a small crown, but its trunk was thick, and its large roots spread wide across the ground. Exposed above the soil, they formed a tangled mass, creating small tunnels and spaces between them.
Grabbing a backpack that had been left there, she ran back—but Seven, feeling uneasy, kept his eyes on that tangle of roots.
Maybe I should check—
"Aaaah!!"
Startled, Seven heard a scream from the lake, followed by the sound of something splashing into the water.
That voice… it's Ísis!!
Leaping from his position, he sprinted toward the sound, plunging into the vegetation and passing Mia—"Stay here!"—bow already drawn.
When, pushing through a thicket, he came face-to-face with something.
"What—?"
Startled, he instinctively stepped back.
Right in front of him stood a figure wearing a rusty metal helmet fitted with a gas mask, heavily worn and covered in rust marks, with green lichen growing in several spots.
Bow in hand, he began drawing the string when—
"Leon!"
Ísis!
Hearing her voice from the lake, Seven turned—and saw her emerge from the water.
Covered in aquatic plants and with wet hair, she looked like some kind of monster that had just awakened.
"Pff—" Seeing her, he almost laughed, but noticing her glare, he held it back.
Besides the plants, something else caught his attention: on top of her head sat what looked like a frog—but different. Its skin was covered in scales like a lizard's.
"He's back!" With a joyful shout, Leon ran toward his sister.
Ignoring the glare aimed at him—perhaps unable to see through the helmet—he reached out and the creature leaped into his arms, as if it already knew what to do.
Translation done by Grok 3.