The hours melted away like frost under a rising sun.
Darkness claimed the ruins, deep and absolute—the kind of darkness that swallowed sound, muffled movement, turned the world into a canvas of shadows and suspicion. Julian stood at the edge of their hiding place, watching the last traces of light fade from the sky, his mind running through the plan for the hundredth time.
Behind him, his family prepared.
Emma stretched and bounced on her toes, working out the last traces of restlessness. Flames flickered beneath her skin like a heartbeat—controlled, waiting, hungry. Her eyes caught the faint light, gleaming with anticipation.
"Ready when you are, Julian. I'm gonna light up their world."
