They followed Michael without lowering their guard, moving through the warped district with measured steps while the three visible survivors walked ahead and the hidden ones revealed themselves gradually, falling into flanking positions that looked casual but carried clear tactical intent.
Lilian already concealed her wings.
The path toward the camp cut through a stretch of terrain that felt even more alien than before.
They saw giant green mushrooms rise between ruined buildings, their thick stalks as wide as pillars and their caps sagging like swollen flesh.
Veins pulsed across their surfaces in slow rhythms, each contraction releasing faint waves of humid mist into the air.
The ground around them glistened with a slick sheen and a faint organic smell lingered.
The mushrooms looked less like plants and more like organs torn from some colossal creature and planted upright among the ruins.
Michael noticed their stiffened posture.
