Night was beginning to fall when Damian finally stopped walking.
The mountain rose before him, beautiful and remote, far enough from Military Police Headquarters that no one would find this place by accident.
Snow covered everything, pristine and untouched, reflecting moonlight that made the landscape glow.
Damian's boots crunched through powder as he climbed higher, Brian's body still held carefully in his arms.
The black fog poured from him in waves that never seemed to end, spreading across white ground like ink through water.
He found a spot near the peak, where the view stretched for kilometers in every direction.
Where Brian could see the world below, could watch the stars above, could rest in peace without walls or cages surrounding him.
Damian laid the body down gently, his hands lingering for a moment before pulling back.
Then he started digging like a normal person.
