I stepped out of the small cottage I had been using for shelter, the air cool and quiet around me. The ground still carried scars from the fight. Miles and miles of craters and rubbles spread around me but I felt lighter than ever. My body had fully recovered.
I rolled my shoulders and stretched my arms, letting the stiffness ease out of me. Every muscle responded sharp and strong.
Without thinking, I pushed my perception outward and started searching for Steve's familiar presence. But no matter how far I reached, I couldn't sense him nearby.
I clicked my tongue, then connected with Peanu's world core. I reached into it, and my perception stretched farther, beyond the battlefield, beyond the capital.
There.
I found him in the city nearby, sitting on the roof of a building. The place was stirring awake, people moving slowly through the streets. Steve sat alone, his sword resting against his shoulder, eyes fixed on the waking city.
