The city lights did not welcome them.
They flickered.
Unsteady.
Like a heartbeat unsure whether to pulse or stop.
Their vehicle slowed as they entered the main road. Buildings grew dense, store signs half-lit, some completely dark. Not many people were visible only a few silhouettes on the sidewalk moving quickly, as if avoiding something with no clear form yet.
Daniel stared out the window.
"Something's wrong here…"
Leonard Graves leaned back in the front seat.
"I'd be shocked if everything was normal."
Richard Blackwood did not lose focus.
His eyes scanned every corner.
Every alley.
Every window.
The place felt… alive.
But not in the right way.
The child in the back seat stared straight ahead.
Not blinking.
His body was still weak.
But his consciousness.
Was too sharp.
"He has started…" he whispered.
Daniel turned quickly.
"What do you mean?"
The child lifted his hand slightly.
The wires on his body trembled softly.
