ood light. Liora stood at the edge of the ash-ring, the last embers of the rite still simmering be

we

ut shared. Bound

never bowed to anyone, looked at Liora with a flicker of something close to awe. And Kael.... Kae

t to feel like thi

beside her.

me is... burning. But

e power is. Not

s. "You knew th

hop

n howling short bursts, then lon

ign

Faint howls echoed through the broke

ks were

, lined with symbols made from bone shards and obsidian chips.

don't have time to wait f

the Regime respon

nsmission earlier today. Your escape triggered a re

don't find us t

ed. "They'll burn

erything she'd known, every

ever," she said. "We figh

ed in scavenged leathers. "Th

Here. Ruinspire. Abandoned Regime outpost. Still has partial shie

You want to mak

give them irony. Let's make the pla

d's unstable. Half the tech's burie

we," Lio

m fell

Rewire what tech we can. We send a message to the outer rog

ou're not just leadin

they turned wolves into weapons

ke. "Then we mov

ered through the Wastelands like a silver omen. They traveled in waves, scouts first, then Mira's

their o

spines. Others wore teeth and claws like armor. Eve

nd watchful. He hadn't shifted si

lding back

are

what we'l

h. "No. Afraid of

membering every bomb and scream buried in its stone. Ruinspire came into view at dawn: a bl

th grave

barked orders. Kael activated a small orb, project

tional. But it's booby-trap

" Liora said. "I re

er a sharp

ess anything. I was sup

ou're

y descended i

broken terminals. A massive steel door barred their way, etched with Re

t m

r palm agains

g moment.

light tur

D. WELCOME, S

rs crea

ttered pods, surgical arms rusted into stillness. A f

forward, hea

still fu

ale. Curled, unconscious. Si

eathed. "That'

eside her, e

is

as my

ze. "L

They told me she failed the trials.

oman's eyes opened, g

el said softly. "Be