The Bracken Woods tell me about how you burned rome to the ground

sega moved through the northern woods like a pale shadow, following the cold, unsettled scent of the stranger. thorns scraped his legs, but he pressed on until the other male came into view — halted, breath sharp with annoyance.

he watched a moment, reading the stiffness in his stance, the shallow cuts along his legs. then sega shifted, stepping just enough to reveal a narrow break in the brush where the path dipped and the thorns thinned.

no words, no push. only a quiet gesture toward an easier way through.

he stayed beneath the pines, golden eyes steady, waiting to see which path the stranger chose.