With breakneck speed, Akhil could see the human settlement.
The descent into the settlement was eerily smooth. Akhil cut through the clouds, his eyes scanning the perimeter for smoke, rubble, or the tell-tale signs of a struggle. Instead, he found a scene of industrious peace.
The streets weren't littered with bodies; they were being swept. The walls weren't being torn down; they were being reinforced.
'Everything seems fine,' he thought, his boots finally touching the pavement a few blocks away from the Administrative Block. He didn't let his guard down. If anything, the normalcy was more suffocating than a battlefield. It felt like a stage play where the actors were trying too hard.
He hurried toward the center of the district, his heart hammering against his ribs. As the Administrative Block came into view, he skidded to a halt. There, amidst the scaffolding and the hum of construction drones, was a familiar silhouette.
