Nobody entered immediately.

They just stared.

Veykar stretched endlessly.

Huge walls surrounded parts of the city while other sections were simply gone. Towers leaned unnaturally. Bridges connected buildings that should have collapsed years ago.

Black Bloom covered everything.

Yet.

Lights existed.

Small.

Tiny.

Moving.

Xin noticed first.

“Those lights.”

Nora nodded slowly.

“They’re moving.”

Tara looked toward Orion.

“You sure this is the place.”

Orion answered immediately.

“Yes.”

Rion looked uncomfortable.

“This place feels wrong.”

Orion looked toward him.

“It is.”

The convoy could not continue.

Roads disappeared completely.

Vehicles stayed outside.

Everyone packed essentials.

Weapons.

Medicine.

Anti Spinat containers.

Explosives.

Food.

Dren complained immediately.

“We’re leaving the truck?”

“Yes,” Tara answered.

“My truck?”

“Yes.”

Dren looked devastated.

The giant city gates stood partially open.

Massive metal doors taller than skyscrapers.

Half destroyed.

Something had forced them apart long ago.

Xin touched the metal briefly.

Cold.

Very cold.

He looked upward.

“What happened here.”

Orion answered quietly.

“People stopped winning.”

Nobody asked further.

They entered.

Silence.

No wind.

No animals.

Nothing.

The city itself felt dead.

Buildings surrounded them.

Broken windows everywhere.

Signs still hanging.

Cars rusted.

Shops untouched.

Yet strangely.

Nothing decayed naturally.

Like time stopped.

Sia whispered quietly.

“This place gives me bad feelings.”

Tara answered.

“Good.”

Hours passed.

The deeper they moved.

The stranger things became.

One street.

Normal.

Next street.

Covered completely by organic structures.

Another.

Filled with abandoned military vehicles.

Another.

Entire buildings fused together.

Nora suddenly stopped.

“Hear that.”

Everyone froze.

Very faint.

Children laughing.

Far away.

Sia looked confused.

“There are people?”

Orion immediately answered.

“No.”

The laughing continued.

Then stopped instantly.

Nobody moved for several seconds.

Evening approached.

They reached an old subway entrance.

Orion pointed.

“We camp here.”

Dren looked confused.

“Inside?”

“Yes.”

“Why.”

Orion pointed upward.

Everyone looked.

Something moved between buildings.

Huge.

Very huge.

Only visible briefly.

Then disappeared.

Nobody argued anymore.

Underground subway tunnels.

Dark.

Cold.

But safer.

Maybe.

Everyone prepared temporary camp.

Xin sat alone again.

Naturally.

Rion eventually joined him.

“You always isolate yourself.”

Xin shrugged.

“Habit.”

Rion looked toward the tunnel.

“Orion bothers you.”

Xin nodded.

“Little bit.”

Silence.

Then Xin asked:

“You trust him.”

Rion thought.

“No.”

Xin looked surprised.

“Then why follow.”

Rion answered simply.

“Because he keeps being right.”

Later.

Tara gathered everyone.

Maps again.

Always maps.

Orion pointed toward deeper city regions.

“This is where we go.”

Xin looked.

Center of Veykar.

“What’s there.”

Orion stayed quiet briefly.

Then answered.

“Dive Facility Zero.”

Everyone stared.

Tara immediately frowned.

“Zero?”

Orion nodded.

“The first major Dive structure.”

Rion slowly understood.

“Andy wants something there.”

Orion nodded again.

“Yes.”

Xin asked quietly.

“What.”

Orion looked toward him.

“Information.”

Silence.

“What information.”

Orion answered:

“The Masked Overseer.”

Nobody spoke.

Even Tara froze.

Xin slowly stood.

“You mean.”

Orion nodded.

“Yes.”

He looked toward deeper city regions.

“Everything started there.”

Far above.

Inside a giant building covered in Bloom.

Andy stood silently.

Tentacles moved slowly.

His glowing eyes watched the city.

Watched them.

He smiled.

“Almost there.”

Then.

Very quietly.

He touched fragments embedded in his chest.

Kaila’s remains.

“I'll show you everything.”

Later that night.

Xin woke suddenly.

Not because of noise.

Because something was standing near camp.

Watching.

Very tall.

Very thin.

Not moving.

Xin immediately stood.

The figure vanished.

Nobody else saw it.

Except Orion.

Who was already awake.

Watching the darkness.

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