Two years have passed since the collapse of the motherland. Life in these deep mountains was so peaceful that the era of upheaval felt like a distant memory.

Living quietly in an abandoned farmhouse were a former military doctor who had settled here uninvited, and a man who had been complaining about that intrusion for two years now.

The fact that the complaining had lasted two years meant, conversely, that he hadn't kicked the doctor out in all that time. While that period was enough to turn this house into a home, it was still slightly insufficient to restore one man to his former self.

In the silence, Leon sat in a chair, blankly gazing at the distant mountain range. The playful smile of those days had completely vanished, replaced now by a quiet, somewhat burnt-out expression. His long hair was tied back in a messy ponytail, and a well-maintained old rifle rested on his lap. It looked like the sole remnant of the past he refused to let go of.