8 : Stone Road -

Her boots, once sturdy leather, were now thin and frayed. Every step on the unyielding surface sent a jolt of pain up her shins. In the Silence, the only sound was the rhythmic scuff-tap, scuff-tap of her journey. It was a lonely music.

As she passed the eighth marker, the grey horizon finally broke. The rigid, straight line of the road began to curve, crumbling into the soft, messy embrace of green hills. The transition was jarring. One moment, her world was geometric and cold; the next, her boots sank into damp earth and clover. 8 : Stone Road

She took a deep breath, the air finally smelling of damp pine and life, and stepped off the stone. For the first time in days, the world was soft. Her boots, once sturdy leather, were now thin and frayed