The desolate city of Peak's Pass, nestled between the twin mountains for which it was named, had been left to ruin for one hundred and seventy three years. Not a soul knew of it's existence. Not a soul---save Riju and the doctor. He had lived in a small, underground hovel his whole life, and now, having summited the hill that overlooked the plain leading down to the city, he had both seen a city for the first time, and became the first person to see the city in over a century and a half.

Peak's Pass was still a far ways away, but Riju was close. He could feel the excitement set in, mixing with the weariness of his journey to create another new feeling. Over the course of his four-month journey, he had experienced many new things. He had drank fresh water for the first time, collected fruit for the first time, seen the stars for the first time, and many more things. Above all, Riju had also experienced happiness for the first time, when he had finally managed to catch an animal for food, or sadness when it started to rain and he had no cover. Or even cold when he didn't have any clothes for the first part of his journey.

Riju grinned. And now, he had this... new feeling. Seeing the city, he was both determined and scared and excited and curious and hopeful and tired. So many feelings, all bundled into one. He marvelled at it. It was... beautiful, in a way. Beautiful. Riju thought. That's what seeing this is like. Beautiful.

Proud of his newly coined term, Riju set off again on his journey. He would be finished with it by nightfall.

...

The towers that once stood tall over Peak's Pass now lay crumpled on the ground from which they tried so desperately to escape from. The ground had swallowed them whole, covering the ruins with moss and greenery, fungus and animal nests. The shops and roads and and houses and livelyhoods of peoples of the past now lay crushed by Time itself. Nature had taken back the city of Peak's Pass, making streams and meadows and forests and burrows out of the once thriving city.

As Riju walked through the mossy arches and by the broken buildings and streams running through roads, he found it hard to breathe. He felt that, in some way, his presence here, no matter how small, was disturbing the quiet scene. The ruin was... beautiful, in a way, He thought. Nothing like the stories the doctor showed me. The stories that the doctor had told Riju of the surface all had massive cities with many people in it. He had been excited to see one, but...

He wasn't sure there would be another person here. That feeling was bitter.

Continuing to walk through the city, he marvelled at the nature and buildings and serenity of it all. The city's beauty. Riju felt like he could walk through it for hours, just learning about the past and looking at the ruins.

But then he remembered the note. Riju pulled it out from a small compartment in his satchel (which he was quite proud of himself for making), and held the note to the setting sun, which painted vibrant streaks of red and yellow and violet across the sky. The words from the doctor's note seemed to stretch out to the sky, painting the doctor's final words to him in a great, beautiful expanse.

"Find Peak's Pass. Use what you've learned from me and what you'll learn along the way. I'm sure you'll figure it out. You'll find your meaning there, son. I'm sure of it."

The words seemed to hang in the sky, like a bitter afterthought. The cryptic message had left Riju with more questions than answers. He wasn't sure why he was here. He didn't know what to do. The doctor had left him too soon, and hadn't taught Riju nearly enough.

Riju felt another feeling, like a great meteor was about to strike him. Like he was about to fall from a great height, or... like he would fail the doctor. He thought for a moment, searching for a word. Fear. Riju realized. I think I'm afraid.

A certain heat emanated from his satchel. Something warm, and comfortable. He fished it out, revealing a small, soft animal. He held it, examining the creature. It was his first gift from the doctor, when he was still a child. It was a small bird, a swallow, which the doctor had called Vikas. He had called it Vikkie all his life, and he held it close now.

Riju didn't know why he was here, why Peak's Pass was like this, why the doctor had left, why there were no other people, and so many other things. he... didn't know. But the warmth from Vikkie comforted him. There was a small feeling, like an ember on a cold night.

Riju searched for another word, turning back to the city, which now cast great shadows on the ground. The evening sky was rapidly getting darker, and he would have to find shelter and warmth for the night. But... hope... yes. Hope. Riju determined. Hope burned within him.

And that feeling of hope... was beautiful.