The abandoned district sat under a dying night, buildings slumped like exhausted bodies after a long war that had only just begun. The sky was still dark, but not fully. A faint gray smear on the horizon hinted that dawn was trying to exist again, even if the world no longer deserved it.
Cassandra's breathing had finally steadied as they moved. Her steps were still cautious, but no longer trembling with pure panic. For the first time since they escaped the earlier chaos, she allowed herself a dangerous thought.
Maybe they had survived it.
Maybe the worst was behind them.
Alexander stopped.
No warning. No hesitation.
Just a sudden stillness that cut through the silence like a blade.
Just a sudden stillness that cut through the silence like a blade.
Cassandra nearly bumped into him.
His head tilted slightly, as if he was listening to something the world was not offering to her. His eyes did not move much, but his attention sharpened in a way that made the air feel thinner.
