They left before sunrise.No speeches.No goodbyes.The Null Refuge did not try to stop them.That scared Kai more than pursuit would have.The fog parted quietly as they walked, like a door opening for guests it was tired of protecting. Behind them, the stone shelters blurred, losing shape, losing meaning. The Refuge was already collapsing in spirit. Soon it would collapse in truth.Mira kept close to Kai, her steps careful. Every few minutes, she glanced back.“Do you think they will survive?” she asked softly.Kai did not lie.“Some will,” he said. “Some will not.”She nodded. That was answer enough.The moment they crossed the boundary, the air changed.Weight returned.Sound sharpened.Pain deepened.Kai staggered slightly, his body reacting to a world where nothing was muted anymore.Mira grabbed his arm. “Kai.”“I’m fine,” he said, through clenched teeth. “Just… mortal.”The fog snapped shut behind them.Not gently.Like a lid.The Null was done with them.The world outside was

The night had never felt heavier.Even without the fog pressing down on them, the world seemed to lean, holding its breath, waiting. Kai and Mira moved cautiously through the ruins of a small settlement, their steps careful on the cracked pavement. The skeletal remains of cars and buildings cast strange shadows in the faint moonlight, shadows that seemed to watch them.Mira’s hands were cold as she clutched Kai’s sleeve. “I feel it again,” she whispered, voice trembling. “The power… it’s coming back stronger.”Kai nodded, his jaw tight. “I know. We need to control it before it controls you.”Her eyes widened. “But how? I can’t stop it. It just… reacts.”Kai stopped and pulled her behind a crumbling wall. He lowered himself to the ground, pulling Mira beside him. “Listen to me. This is the first time it’s acted without provocation. That’s why we’re alive and not hunted to the ground yet. But you cannot let fear or anger trigger it. You have to focus. Only focus.”Mira closed her eyes.