The ascent into the Himalayas was not a climb; it was a slow-motion funeral for the biological world. As the modified VTOL banked over the Khumbu Icefall, the *smell of the Roman rain* that ancient, comforting scent of damp history was entirely replaced by the sterile, biting vacuum of high-altitude frost. The air was so thin it felt like a ghost, a transparent blade that sliced into the lungs with every inhale.
Beside Lila, *the sound of Ethan’s jagged breathing* was a frantic, metallic rattle against the plastic of his oxygen mask. He was strapped into the co-pilot’s seat, his hands hovering over the analog controls. The "Hive" frequency had followed them even here, manifesting as a shimmering, violet aurora that danced across the mountain peaks, turning the "Roof of the World" into a
