Demarkus's Arc

Chapter 2 of 3

The door burst open before Demarkus could finish arranging his sketches. Voices filled the cabin, loud and certain. He looked up to see the other contestants streaming in, their eyes already scanning the space, calculating angles and possibilities. A woman with dark braids moved straight for the bench across from his. Another contestant, tall with sharp features, pointed at the tool racks and called out measurements to someone behind him. Demarkus felt the energy shift. They weren't here to chat. They were here to claim territory. He reached into his bag and pulled out the glass jar he'd found yesterday near the supply cabin. Arctic flowers, preserved in clear resin, caught the light from his window. He set it at the corner of his workbench where everyone could see it. Within seconds, a woman with bright eyes stopped mid-stride. "Where did you find that?" she asked. Her name was Priya. She touched the jar carefully, turning it to catch the glow. Two others drifted over. Demarkus told them about the supply cabin, about the flowers that somehow still bloomed in the tundra cold. They asked questions. He asked them back. By the time the benches were claimed, he knew four names and three hometowns. The jar stayed on his workbench, a small bridge between strangers.