Chapter 30

Rayne's POV

By now, I could already tell that the people of Mysticrock were in no way like the people I had spent two decades of my life with. They lived life to the fullest, embracing every moment that came with tight hands, and choosing to hold on as long as they could. It was an admirable way to live, and I saw more of it as I helped them continue setting up the venue for the festival.

By the time we were done, the sun had descended lower in the sky, and its rays had gone from bright yellow to deep orange, indicating that evening waited not too far off. After giving my greetings to the other youths I'd worked with, I met up once again with Sal, who was also on her way to leave.

Working that afternoon had given me the chance to really, really think deep about the things she had said. I couldn't help but agree that trauma had a way of tightening bonds. When in doubt and times of incredible despair, people latched onto anything that they felt would ease the pain, even if it meant feed