Blacktail Deer Plateau oh, it's not that you should care; i just wanted you to know

He never would have thought anyone would follow him. The touch startles the young Corten, drawing a snarl from him as he flinches and glances up with bloody teeth bared. Don't — The rest of the words die in his throat as he realizes that it's Evergreen, and his chest tightens painfully. Leave — Leave me alone, he tries to say, but he fails again, and he's left with a fragmented version of a sentiment he's always been far too terrified to express. Don't leave. He sucks in a breath, squeezing his eyes shut as if that might erase the scene from existence. He wishes he could.