"Hold on, Ergi, just breathe!" Inka shouted as she slammed her fist against the dashboard, forcing the heavy armored vehicle to lurch forward.
The interior of the cabin was a chaotic mess of flickering red lights and the smell of burnt rubber. Ivy huddled in the cramped space, her arms trembling as she cradled Ergi against her chest. His head lolled against her shoulder, his skin feeling like cold marble. The black, jagged veins of the mana poison were still crawling across his neck, a visual testament to the toll the duel had taken on his life.
Inka maneuvered the vehicle through a labyrinth of narrow, crumbling alleyways. The roar of the engine was the only thing cutting through the oppressive silence of the Lower Sector. Every time the vehicle hit a pothole, Ergi let out a soft, pa
