Reimon raised his hand, the air humming around his fingertips as a circular portal, shimmering with distorted space, opened behind them. "Everyone through. Now."
They stepped into the warp gate, leaving the nest, the dead, and the sky-whale behind. It wasn't escape, it was a temporary retreat.
A blink later, they re-emerged onto cracked concrete, surrounded by rows of mismatched buildings held together by makeshift repairs and reinforced metal plates. People watched from windows and alleyways, gaunt faces lit by flickering streetlights powered by unstable energy cores.
Kevin looked around, catching his breath. "This is… Meltdown City?"
Reimon nodded. "Yeah. Welcome back to one places still standing."
Kevin's eyes lit with familiarity. "Then we should head to the city leader. I know him, he might help."
But Julian stepped forward, his voice firm and cold. "No. This is where we part ways."
Kevin blinked. "What? Why?"
