The Rezvani rolled quiet under the shadow of the rail line. The city stretched ahead in broken blocks and gutted apartments, its silence heavy after the chaos of the underpass. Every groan and scrape of metal seemed too loud.
Riku drove slow, one hand tight on the wheel, eyes scanning both mirrors every few seconds. Suzune sat shotgun, rifle across her lap, head swiveling like a watchtower. In the back, Hana leaned against Miko's shoulder, still clutching her blanket. Ichika had the walkie pressed against her knee, fiddling with the dial out of habit.
They'd been driving thirty minutes when the sound came.
Not a moan. Not the growl of raiders' engines. A voice.
"—hey! You there! Vehicle! Stop!"
Everyone froze.
The words echoed down from a cracked building two stories tall. A faint light flickered from one of its upper windows, a handheld lantern waving side to side.
