The rain that fell over the outskirts of Jiangnan was no longer the black, oily slick of the Void. It was clear and cool, washing the dust of battle from the leaves of the gargantuan trees that now towered over the highway. But for Mayor Zhang, the beauty of the new world was a death sentence.
He was running. His expensive suit was torn, and his polished shoes were caked in the mud of the forest floor. Behind him, the wreckage of his armored escape convoy smoked in the moonlight. He had the data—the precious hexagonal drive containing the secrets of the Eco-Link—clutched to his chest like a holy relic. He thought he could flee to the Atlantic colonies, but the forest had other plans.
"Kael!" Zhang screamed into the dark, his voice cracking with terror. "Where are you? Protect me!"
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