The dawn light was no longer blinding. It was soft, washing over the city's ruins with an honest shade of amber. Kael was still there, kneeling on the now-cold floor of the bunker. He did not let go of my hand, as if hoping my heartbeat would return to chase away the chill of his skin. But I knew. This physical body was merely an instrument that had lost its strings.
I was a frequency trapped between space and time.
In the distance, I heard footsteps. Not the synchronized marching of The Sovereign, but erratic, uneven steps. Some walking quickly, others dragging their feet in exhaustion. They were the citizens of Neo-Seattle, crawling out from their hiding holes, drawn by the resonance I had left behind.
They didn't come to hunt. They came because they felt "called" by the melody now fl
