, there was

e sculpture of suspended seafoam and salt. The lights overhead flickered with disobedient life, casting

lay crumpled on the floor, her glo

. "Nyra," he said, shaking her shou

espo

r skin was clammy but not cold. She was b

erything," h

, staring at the frozen wall of water-her face a shifting mask

yes wide. "That wasn't

id. "She spoke to the

uldn't be

ttered. "And ye

er voice was hoarse, like she hadn

ning himself between Talor and N

hing the dome? By dragging some

The water obeyed her. If she hadn't intervened, we'd be st

Her eyes shifted to

contained. Sealed. I don't care if she saved us-s

kly. "You're not

dange

a weapon in a sealed dome whil

not human,"

t alive," Kieran said quiet

laring war on something we don't understand. Something older t

she'd been slapped

l," she said finally. "Not

ling behind. But not before one of them cast a last wary glance a

but he'd left a map on Mina's wristpad, leading them to an unused medical wing deep in Sector Twelve, abandoned after the last dome brea

by discarded equipment and flickering monitor

stepped back. "Her vitals are weird. Her heart ra

said, brushing a damp strand of hair from N

th human readings," Mina added. "They're spiking

ed. "Then let's see wha

oom f

sensation, like his mind was being unraveled and stitched int

ly, he was

wasn't

ht. Above him, whales sang songs that bent the air. Below, an entire city bloomed with coral

at the edge of t

y

s just lighter-less bu

d he saw memor

our dream?

s mine. But it's

awestruck. "This

ty beneath the Veil. Long hi

said the sea remembers. I

. "This is wha

shared this ocean. We lived together. Whispered to the waves. Sang with the currents. But then came the ci

yourselves

voice catching. "Because the s

hook the dreamscap

ple feel it crumbling. The Abyss is waking. And if it rises befor

"How can I fix something

r, pressing her h

crossed the boundary and was claimed by the current. You'r

oke with

ely-but her eyes met h

it," she

ded. "

inst the wall, arms

. "The city. The Veil

r father w

" Kieran said. "But he reached tha

this is why h

ly, "he didn't disappear. I

audible. "The sea does

gain. This time, the alert tone w

e curfew just went into effect. Ta

ing for war,"

e for dreams," Mina rep

ace beneath the city. A faultline where the Veil thins. If I go th

od. "You'l

k. "You do realize you're now

Then let's m

longer felt

k. Alarms pulsed faintly in the distance, an ambient reminder that everything was unraveling. On every sc

ized movement will be met with force. This

't interested i

her skin had faded to a soft shimmer, barely noticeable unless you looked closely. Mina pace

shoulder. "Sealed after the second dome breach. No cam

g there," Kie

ehind him. "She fears w

back. "The last time something breached the dom

ng the one person who mig

pulled a wire from the wall, spliced it

s the right path

crack in the boundary between your world and mine. It's

eyebrows raised. "Talk it down? Nego

firm. "I don't ask it to list

cked. The doo

ess spilled into t

elcome to the forgott