They entered Collateral through an almost invisible portal to find themselves once more in the bustling metropolis. The streets were filled with the delicious aromas of late morning foods. The birds, fated to remain within this sealed town, flew across the streets, singing brightly as they hunted the discarded crumbs from the early morning patrons. Nothing was different, not that she had expected it to be. Zo somehow found it reassuring that, while her world twisted and distorted so dramatically, the world around her stayed true to its form. She too would continue to move forwards like the world around her, keeping her promises regardless of the cost, regardless of what poison life threw towards her. Even if only externally, there was the desire to remain strong right until the very end. O
