The Light in Aquala

As the afternoon wore on and the shadows grew longer, Mara called a halt.

They had been walking for most of the day, and the terrain had become increasingly rough as they climbed higher and deeper into the jungle.

"We should make camp here," she said, noticing a small clearing beside the path with a freshwater stream nearby. "I can set up my equipment and then we can get a good night's rest."

Lena looked at the clearing, then at the sky. "There's still plenty of daylight left."

"I know." Mara's voice was firm. "But the trail gets steeper ahead, and I want to be fresh for the climb. Besides, there are measurements I want to take in the morning when the light is better."

Lena sighed dramatically but began to remove her pack. "You and your measurements."

Mara smiled. "You and your complaining."

They both started laughing.

They set up camp quickly, working together with the ease of long practice. Lena gathered firewood while Mara arranged her equipment in a triangular shape around the clearing, positioning the sensors to capture the subtle shifts in the nighttime Neon and alert them of anything coming their way.

As the sun dipped below the canopy, and the sunset color enveloped the sky, the jungle came alive with the sounds of evening. More insects woke up, chirping happily in the undergrowth, and somewhere in the distance night birds sang their evening songs.

They ate in companionable silence, the fire crackling between them, casting moving shadows across the clearing. Their food was simple; dried fruit, nuts, and sweetbreads that their mother had made. Lena had made sure to bring this favorite treat along with them, and it tasted wonderful after a long day of hiking.

They savored the delicious tea made from the herbs their great-grandmother had planted in the family’s garden. They talked about the changes they had seen, about the curious symbol on the tree, about things that could be related.

After a while they just sat there quietly as the fire crackled, and the night sounds of the jungles insects continued their endless chorus.

Finally, Mara spoke. "We'll find out tomorrow. Whatever's waiting at Aquala, we'll face it together. I have a feeling that we might find more than this Season’s new colors of Neon."

Lena nodded and looked back at Mara. They were sisters and had faced countless challenges and mysteries before.

Whatever was waiting for them, they would be ready.

After extinguishing the fire and wrapping their blankets around themselves, they each found an area that looked like it could be comfortable.

The soft glow of the Neon in the jungle, the moonlight and the glowing embers from their fire kept away the darkness of night as they got settled.

Mara wrapped herself up in a blanket that she had rescued from the depths of her backpack and fell asleep immediately.

Lena smiled, remembering Mara chiding her over bringing a blanket, even though she had already packed one of her own. She lay awake longer, staring at the millions of twinkling stars, her mind churning over the day's events.

The symbol on the tree. The Season that had started so much earlier.

She had a feeling that tomorrow would change everything.