The boat ride back to Jiangnan felt like a blur. Xin stood on the deck, his eyes fixed on the smoke rising from the skyline. He didn't feel like a hero. His ribs ached where the General’s spear had pierced him, and his head felt heavy with the strange memories of the Star-Steel.
"Xin, drink this," Mei said, shoving a plastic bottle of water into his hand. Her fingers were shaking, but she was trying to look tough.
Xin took a sip, but his throat was dry. "How long has the city been like this?"
"Since you left for the trench," Captain Han answered from the wheel. His face was grim. "The gravity reset you did at the Spire... it didn't last. Without you there to hold it, the 'Zones' started fighting each other. Fire and ice are clashing in the streets. It’s a mess."
As the boat hit the
