A white food truck rolls down a dirt road through rolling green hills. The afternoon sun is warm. Birds chirp in the distance. The truck's hand-painted menu board reads simply: 'RAMEN — ALL YOU CAN EAT' in slightly crooked letters.

The truck has stopped at a small hamlet crossroads. Helena stands beside the serving window, still in her torn exile dress, watching Erine work.

A small crowd of villagers approaches the truck — weary travelers, a few children, an elderly woman. They're hungry. They're grateful.

Later. The hamlet is fed. Erine sits inside the truck's small living quarters — barely more than a cot, a tiny table, and a window. Helena is in the passenger seat area, watching the road.

The truck drives on. Helena asks a careful question. Erine deflects.

Helena presses the point. Erine keeps deflecting. The tension is quiet but real.

A roadside tavern. Erine stops to refuel (the truck runs on something she doesn't fully understand). She overhears travelers talking about bandits at Miller's Ford.

Erine walks away from the tavern, mind racing. She pulls out her notebook, crosses something out, writes a new date.

The truck at night, parked in a field. Helena is asleep in the living quarters. Erine sits at the tiny table, the notebook open, adding to the list.

The Thornwick market. Erine approaches the merchant who should have the key ring. He has poison instead.

Erine presses the merchant. He seems genuinely confused — not lying, not hiding anything. Someone edited his inventory.

Erine walks back to the truck. The key ring was supposed to open the old cathedral — a chapter twelve item. Now it's gone. She adds to her list.

A tavern notice board. Erine sees a wanted poster for Lord Vassen — crossed out with red ink. 'DECEASED' stamped in official-looking letters.

Erine asks a passing merchant about Lord Vassen. The merchant tells her — bandits, three weeks ago. He was defending a refugee convoy.

Erine walks away from the merchant. Her hands are shaking. Lord Vassen was supposed to live. Someone moved his death up by thirteen chapters.

The truck at night, parked in a dark field. Stars overhead. Helena is awake in the living quarters, watching Erine through the doorway.

Erine speaks aloud for the first time — testing the words, saying them out loud to make them real.

Helena speaks from the sleeping area. Her voice is calm, precise, and utterly awake. She's been listening the whole time.

Erine turns to look at Helena. The question hangs in the air between them. Helena's expression is calm, waiting.

Helena speaks again. She's not accusing — she's asking. Her voice is measured, intelligent, giving Erine room to answer.

Erine looks at Helena. The silence stretches. She could deflect. She could lie. But Helena has given her a door, and she's too tired not to walk through it.

Erine takes a breath. She opens the notebook and slides it across the table toward Helena.

Helena looks up from the notebook. Her expression is unreadable — processing, calculating.

Helena speaks. Her voice is quiet but firm. She's not rejecting the information — she's accepting it and moving forward.

The truck at night. Stars visible through the small window. Helena and Erine sit across from each other, the notebook between them. Something has shifted.

Exterior of the truck at dawn. The first light of morning breaks over the hills. The truck is a simple white shape against the brightening sky.