The air hung thick and sweet with the scent of honeysuckle. Cicadas buzzed their rhythmic song, a lullaby to the setting sun. On the porch of their grandmother's wooden house, Jiejie traced patterns on the dusty floorboards. Beside her, Didi fidgeted, his small hands clutching a well-worn, bamboo cricket cage.
The sun was just peeking over the horizon, casting a warm glow on the dewy grass of Crispy Woods. Eddy sat cross-legged in his room, surrounded by an ocean of crumpled maps, out-of-date compasses, and half-eaten cereal bars. His sister, Anna, stood in the doorway, arms crossed and eyebrows raised, her expression teetering between amusement and annoyance. “Did you really think you could find...
