Angelo was still asleep when Hale switched places with Ryan, who promptly passed out. Though Angelo looked calm on the outside, inside his soul he sat once more on the throne—now a blend of red and white. He gazed down at the swirling abyss below. The void… it was rising. Slowly but surely, creeping upward like a tide ready to swallow all.
His eyes snapped open.
The cold morning air greeted him as he sat up. Ryan was fast asleep beside him. Slipping out of the tent, Angelo found Hale on watch, standing quietly with her rifle slung over her shoulder.
"You're late," she said without looking at him.
"You should've woken me."
"You looked too peaceful. Figured you needed it."
"I assure you," Angelo replied, rubbing his eyes, "it wasn't a peaceful dream."
Hale glanced at him. "Wanna talk about it?"
Angelo shook his head. "No. I'm fine. Go get some rest. I'll take over."
As she walked past him, she added with a smirk, "If you want a midnight snack, there's food in the back of Nomad."
Angelo gave her a tired smile and took a seat near the fire pit. With the camp quiet again, he pulled out Grant's notebook and began reading more about theoretical physics—gravity wells, temporal displacement, the chaos of supernovae. But even as his eyes moved across the pages, his thoughts drifted back to the void and the cracked throne within him.
The sun eventually crept over the horizon, and Hale and Ryan stirred awake. They found Angelo already at the fire, prepping a small meal.
After they ate, Angelo stood and stretched. "We need to move faster. The creatures didn't stop—not even for a moment."
Hale nodded and fired up Nomad. They hit the road again, pushing further north.
Behind them, the creatures continued their merciless advance, slaughtering any living thing they encountered. The evacuation from the base had been completed. Civilians and soldiers alike were heading southeast, terrified and desperate.
Inside one of the convoys, Colonel Pierce gripped a handheld radio and tuned it to the team's frequency. "Team Nomad, report."
Angelo grabbed the radio receiver. "We're moving north. Covered a lot of ground yesterday."
"How's the road?" the colonel asked.
"Quiet, so far. Too quiet. But it's working—they're following us."
A pause. Then Angelo added, "How's my family?"
"They're safe," Pierce replied. "Looked a little shaken after Grant gave them a piece of his mind, but they'll be okay."
Angelo exhaled a breath of relief. "Is Grant nearby?"
"Different transport. Hang on, I'll patch him in."
There was static, then a familiar voice. "Angelo? You wanted to talk?"
"Yeah," Angelo said. "I've got a question. Dimensional travel. Is it possible?"
A short pause. "That's what you called me for?" Grant said, amused. "In theory—yes. In reality—much trickier. It's never been done before. Why ask now?"
"Just… curious," Angelo replied.
Grant laughed. "You really called just because you were curious?"
"That, and to let you know the plan's working. They've changed direction. You should all be safe."
There was a beat of silence on the line before Grant's voice returned, quieter this time. "Don't get yourself killed, kid."
Angelo smiled faintly. "I don't plan to."