The rain had turned to mist by dawn, draping the broken world in a ghostly hush. Natalie’s boots squelched through mud as she trudged down the overgrown service road, one arm wrapped around Ethan, the other gripping a pistol slick with rain. Every step hurt, but stopping wasn’t an option. Not now. Not after what Serrin had said.
Adrian moved ahead, his body tense and steady despite the crimson stain spreading down his side. He hadn’t spoken much since they’d left the lab—just short commands, clipped and cold. The silence between them felt like its own kind of danger, sharp enough to draw blood.
They followed the cracked asphalt until it disappeared into a clearing filled with skeletal trees. The faint light of morning glowed behind a haze of smoke from distant fires. Somewhere out there,
