Amari hadn't slept in ten days. His body felt heavy, his mind clouded, but the nightmares wouldn't let him rest. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw the faces of everyone he'd lost—Nana, Apollo, the fleeting moments of happiness that had been ripped away from him. The weight of it all pressed down on him, suffocating, as he wandered aimlessly through the neighborhoods of Algoria. He didn't know where he was going, and he didn't care.
For days now, his heightened senses—his abnormal hearing, his sharp instincts—had faded. It was as if they'd been reset, returned to normal. But Amari didn't acknowledge the change. He didn't care if he was cured. Nothing mattered anymore.
"Yo! Amari! Amari! Over here, man!"
The familiar voice cut through his haze, and he turned reluctantly. It was the Ocean brothers[1]. Maverick, as usual, was the loudest, bounding toward him with his usual energy.
"Damn, kid, where've you been?" Maverick asked, jumping onto Amari's back in a playful way.
