We followed the horses' trail inland, pushing through dense underbrush that gave way to a surprising stretch of open grassland. The island was small, but it teemed with life in a way none of us had seen in years.
A rustle in the bushes made Patrick freeze. "Movement—three o'clock."
A pair of rabbits burst from the undergrowth, their brown coats streaked with sand as they zigzagged away. Normal rabbits. No extra limbs, no glowing eyes—just fast, skittish, and utterly ordinary.
Yona let out a soft breath. "European rabbits. *Oryctolagus cuniculus.*"
Sean raised an eyebrow. "You just *know* that?"
She didn't take her eyes off the fleeing animals. "Pre-Collapse biology was a hobby."
