The convoy moved at sunset.

Three trucks.

Two armored vehicles.

One broken world.

Nobody complained.

The old base disappeared behind them slowly as the road stretched forward into ruined land.

Xin sat in the back of the second truck.

Rion sat opposite.

Orion stood near the rear gate watching outside constantly.

Tara drove.

Nobody trusted silence anymore.

The world outside looked worse than before.

Entire forests blackened.

Buildings half covered in Bloom growth.

Animals moving strangely.

Road signs covered with dark veins.

Some places looked alive.

Some looked eaten.

Sia looked outside quietly.

“Was it always like this.”

Nobody answered.

Because everyone knew.

No.

Hours later.

They stopped briefly.

Fuel.

Water.

Checks.

Mason approached Orion.

“You still didn’t tell us where we’re going.”

Orion looked toward distant mountains.

“North.”

“That’s not an answer.”

Orion pointed.

Far away.

Very far.

A giant dark shape covered the horizon.

Not mountains.

Not clouds.

Something else.

Everyone looked.

“What is that.”

Orion answered quietly.

“Crater Valley.”

Silence.

Xin immediately recognized the name.

Andy.

The underground labs.

The place Andy disappeared.

The place where everything began.

Later.

Tara gathered everyone around maps again.

“Listen.”

She pointed.

“We cannot walk directly into Crater Valley.”

“No shit,” Dren answered.

Tara ignored him.

“Black Bloom density increases closer.”

“Dive activity increases.”

“Creature activity increases.”

She looked toward Orion.

“You said there’s another location.”

Orion nodded.

“There is.”

“Where.”

“A city.”

Xin frowned.

“What city.”

Orion answered.

“Veykar.”

Nobody recognized the name.

Except Tara.

Her face changed.

“You mean THAT city.”

Orion nodded.

“Yes.”

Rion looked confused.

“What city.”

Tara slowly answered.

“The city nobody enters.”

Night continued.

Vehicles moved again.

Xin sat quietly.

Orion suddenly sat beside him.

“You’re angry.”

Xin stared ahead.

“Yeah.”

“About.”

Xin looked down.

“Kaila.”

“Alaric.”

“Parents.”

“Everything.”

Orion nodded slowly.

Then said:

“Good.”

Xin looked annoyed.

“What.”

“You should be.”

Xin stared.

Orion continued.

“But anger is expensive.”

Silence.

“You spend too much.”

Xin looked away.

Hours later.

The convoy suddenly stopped.

Everyone immediately grabbed weapons.

“What happened.”

Nora pointed.

Ahead.

The road ended.

Not broken.

Gone.

Entire highway collapsed.

And beyond.

The horizon finally became visible.

Everyone slowly stepped outside.

Nobody spoke.

Because now they could see it properly.

Veykar.

A massive abandoned city.

Gigantic walls.

Collapsed towers.

Black Bloom everywhere.

Half the city buried beneath strange organic structures.

The entire city looked dead.

Yet lights flickered inside.

Very faint.

Very far.

Dren quietly spoke.

“What the hell happened here.”

Orion answered.

“Dive.”

Silence.

Then.

Something moved inside the city.

Huge.

Very huge.

Far away.

Only visible for a second.

Then disappeared.

Sia whispered:

“We’re going in there?”

Orion nodded.

“Yes.”

“Why.”

Orion looked toward Xin.

“Because inside that city.”

Pause.

“There’s something Andy wants.”

Everyone stayed quiet.

Xin slowly touched Kaila’s necklace.

The wind blew through ruined buildings.

The city watched them.

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