The boy blinked in surprise, then smiled. "Thanks."

"You're welcome," Fate said, and the words felt simple and natural.

They continued through the village. A man repairing a fence nodded to them. A woman hanging laundry paused only long enough to offer a friendly "Good day." A black cat walked up, rubbed against Fate's leg, and kept moving.

Fate looked around slowly. "Everyone is just… living. Doing their own things."

"That's how most of the world works," the Dreamer said. "Small tasks. Simple routines."

Fate smiled a little. "It's nice."

They reached the edge of the village and stopped near a field where crops were growing in straight lines. The sun was higher now. The warmth settled comfortably on their backs.

"Do you want to stay here a bit longer?" the Dreamer asked.

Fate shook their head gently. "No. I think I've seen what I needed to."

"And what was that?"

"That life moves forward without me," Fate said. "People laugh, work, struggle, rest… and they don't need someone shaping every moment for them."

"That's a good thing to see," the Dreamer replied.

Fate looked toward the open road ahead. "Let's keep walking. I want to see what the day wants to show us next."

The Dreamer smiled. "Then forward."

They stepped onto the road again, leaving the quiet village behind. The air felt lighter, and Fate's steps felt easier, like something inside them had loosened.

They didn't know where the road would lead next.

They didn't need to.

They just walked, together, letting the simple rhythm of the world guide them.

They followed the road as it stretched out toward another set of gentle hills. The sky was clear, the air warm, and the path easy beneath their feet. For a while, they didn't say anything. They didn't need to. The simple act of walking felt enough.

After some time, they reached a fork in the road. One path curved left toward a distant forest. The other went right, into a wide plain dotted with low shrubs.

Fate stopped and looked at both directions. "Which way?"

The Dreamer shrugged lightly. "Whichever feels right."

Fate thought for a moment, then pointed toward the plain. "That one. It looks open. Easy to walk."

"Then let's go," the Dreamer said.

They followed the right-hand path. The land opened around them in long stretches. The breeze picked up just enough to brush their clothes and hair as they walked. The plain wasn't empty—small animals darted in and out of the shrubs, and the distant sound of running water drifted through the air.

After a short while, they found the source: a narrow stream cutting gently through the plain. The water moved slow and clear. They stopped beside it, and Fate crouched down again, letting the coolness wash over their fingers.

"It's strange," Fate said. "Everything feels… quiet. But not empty."

"That's what real quiet is," the Dreamer said. "Not silence. Just peace."

Fate nodded slowly, watching the water drift around small stones. "I didn't know I would like this."

"You didn't know you needed it," the Dreamer replied.

They followed the stream for a time, walking along its edge as it wound through the land. Eventually, the water curved away from the road, and the path continued straight.

Fate paused. "Let's stay on the path," they decided.

"Alright," the Dreamer said.

They walked on until the land rose again into a low ridge. At the top, they stopped and looked out at what lay beyond: a calm, quiet stretch of open fields, the kind that looked like nothing special at first glance.

But Fate smiled.

"It looks simple," they said.

"And that's good," the Dreamer replied.

They started down the ridge. The grass brushed softly against their legs as they walked. The sun was steady. The world around them was calm.

No pressure.

No roles.

No weight to carry.

Just another part of the day waiting quietly for them to pass through it.

Fate's steps stayed relaxed, steady, unhurried.

"Where do you think we'll end up by evening?" Fate asked.

"Wherever the day takes us," the Dreamer said.

Fate nodded. "That's enough for me."

They kept moving at the world's simple pace, letting each small moment come and go just as it chose.

They walked down from the ridge, following the path as it leveled out again. The fields ahead were quiet and open, with only a few scattered trees breaking the landscape. The wind moved gently through the grass, creating soft waves that rolled across the plain.

For a while, they didn't talk. The silence wasn't heavy—it felt natural, like the world was giving them room to breathe.

Eventually, they reached a spot where the road bent slightly to the left. A wooden sign stood there, old and worn, pointing toward a town that was still too far away to see.

Fate read the sign, then looked down the road. "It's strange," they said. "A few days ago, I would've felt responsible for everything happening in that town. For everyone living there."

"And now?" the Dreamer asked.

"Now I just see it as a place on the path," Fate said. "If we visit, we visit. If we don't, that's fine too."

"That's how normal life works," the Dreamer replied. "You go where you want. You stop where it feels right."

Fate took a slow breath, letting it settle. "It feels easier. Lighter."

They continued walking. The road was straight for a long time, stretching across the plain without any real turns. A few birds flew overhead, occasionally landing in the grass before taking off again.

After a while, they passed a small cluster of rocks—nothing remarkable, just a place where someone might rest if they were tired. Fate paused there and looked around, noticing the way the road cut cleanly through the fields. There was no rush. No goal.

"We can stop here if you want," the Dreamer said.

Fate shook their head. "Not yet. I still feel like walking."

So they did.

Their footsteps fell in an easy rhythm. The sun, now higher in the sky, warmed the air but didn't make it uncomfortable. A few clouds drifted overhead, slow and harmless.

After a long stretch, the land shifted slightly. The fields gave way to small rolling dips, and the road passed between two low hills. The shade from the hills brought a brief coolness, and Fate slowed their pace just a little.

"This is nice," Fate said. "Just… moving. No thinking too much."

"That's the freedom you kept searching for," the Dreamer said.

Fate smiled. "I guess I finally found it."

They reached the other side of the hills, where the land opened again into a gentler plain. In the distance, they could see the faint outline of a small settlement—maybe a village, maybe just a few scattered homes.

Fate didn't feel any pressure to reach it. They just noticed it, then let the thought go.

"Let's keep going," they said calmly.

The Dreamer nodded. "We will. One step at a time."

And so they walked on, following the quiet road with no destination pulling them forward—just the simple rhythm of the day, steady and unforced.

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