They called themselves Hopewalkers—not because they had hope, but because they refused to let it die quietly. Across scorched stone and sunburnt skies, they walked west with no destination but a dream: that somewhere beyond the Wastes, something beautiful might still exist.

But the Wastes remember everything. And when hunger isn't enough to kill you, grief will finish the job. Bodies change. Minds fracture. And sometimes, the people you love become the monsters you fear. Still, Wren walks. Even with blood on her hands. Even with nothing left to offer but the promise that she’ll keep going.

Because somewhere, beyond the dust and death, is the ocean. And maybe—just maybe—a place where broken things are allowed to heal.