The storm had moved far out to sea, but its echo lingered — in the way the horizon shimmered, in the static that occasionally rippled through the air. The world wasn’t the same since Elysium fell. Some days, it felt quieter, other days, heavier — as if something unseen was still listening.
Ethan sat outside the tent at dawn, watching the faint glow of the ocean. His hands were wrapped around a tin cup of cold coffee he hadn’t touched. For the first time in days, he wasn’t working, repairing, or searching. Just sitting.
He wasn’t sure what to do with the silence Maya left behind. It wasn’t empty — more like a space filled with echoes.
Behind him, Myles approached, her steps soft against the dirt. “You’ll freeze out here,” she said gently.
He smiled faintly. “You sound like Taylor.”
“I’
