The silence that followed the white light was more violent than the explosion itself. It wasn't just the absence of sound; it was the absence of weight. For a few seconds, standing on top of that broadcast tower, I felt like I had been erased from the physical world. No pain, no memories, no virus. Just a blank page in a world that had run out of ink.
Then, the world rushed back in a cold, biting wind, the smell of ozone, and the distant, chaotic roar of a city waking up to a nightmare.
"Sasha!" I screamed, my voice cracking as I crawled toward the center of the array.
The light was gone. The broadcast tower was a skeleton of scorched metal and melted glass. In the center, sitting on the cold floor, was a boy. He wasn't glowing anymore. His skin was pale, his breathing ragged, and his e
