The road was cracked.
Trees grew through the asphalt, and vines strangled abandoned cars like nature had been trying to erase the past with slow violence. The vehicle jolted every few meters as it rolled down what used to be a major road — now a corpse of old civilization.
Inside the back of the armored truck, Kaila sat in silence. Her eyes stared blankly at the passing landscape.
Andy sat across from her, watching her, unsure if he should say something. Dr. Alaric sat up front, going through a half-broken datapad, and Harper leaned against the window, chewing gum like she didn't care about anything.
But the air was heavy.
Kaila finally blinked. "How much longer?"
Dr. Alaric responded without looking back. "Twenty minutes. Base is inside Sector 49's cultural ruins. Art museum city. They called it Avensca before the world went to shit."
Kaila looked out again. "We're going to a museum?"
"Underground facility inside it. Used to be a private research bunker," Alaric said. "Now it's our sanctuary."
Andy leaned forward. "I'm not complaining. Beats getting carved in half by a guy with sword arms."
Harper snorted. "Keep your mouth shut. They already think we're a liability."
Andy leaned back and muttered, "You people really know how to make someone feel welcome."
Scene: Arrival at the Museum City
They finally arrived just before sundown.
The museum loomed like a dying cathedral — vines covering cracked statues, moss climbing shattered murals. Huge stone angels stood guard, their wings broken, their eyes hollow.
Graffiti covered the walls.
Skulls, hearts, poems. Some childish. Some terrifying. One in bold black ink read:
"This city forgot how to feel. So we made it remember. One scream at a time."
Kaila stepped out and stared at the place.
It was haunting… and beautiful.
Inside, the marble floors were chipped but still gleamed in places. Old sculptures had been reassembled with scrap metal and bone. Walls were half-blasted, and the scent of paint and blood hung in the air.
"This is where we're staying?" she asked.
Alaric nodded. "For now. You'll be safe here."
Scene: First Night
They were given a private room — carved into what used to be a gallery of romantic art.
Half the paintings were burned, but a few still remained: lovers holding each other in the middle of a storm, a girl dancing with glowing feet, a boy crying flowers.
Kaila sat on the cold floor, her eyes on a ruined painting.
Andy stood nearby, watching her. "You okay?"
She didn't respond right away.
"Feels like I'm standing in a graveyard of dreams," she said finally.
Andy knelt beside her. "Then maybe we can plant something new."
Kaila looked at him, surprised.
"You get one poetic line per month," he added, smirking.
She laughed, softly.
The laughter faded, and her voice turned quiet. "I don't know how long I can do this without him."
Andy's smile dropped.
"You don't have to do it alone," he said. "You've got me."
She didn't say anything.
But she didn't pull away either.
Scene: Alaric's Discovery
Later that night, Dr. Alaric called Kaila and Andy into one of the locked archives below the museum. The room was dusty, filled with old hardware, forgotten files, and faded notes.
Alaric handed Kaila a cracked hard drive. "This was left here by someone close to you."
Kaila's heart skipped. "What do you mean?"
"It's your mother's."
She stared at the drive, hands trembling.
"She was working on something before she died," Alaric said. "Something called the 'Skate Project.' We don't know what it was — records were wiped. But she left this behind. I think she knew you'd come back here someday."
Kaila stared at the drive.
Andy put a hand on her shoulder.
"You ready to find out what she left behind?" he asked.
Kaila nodded, eyes locked on the metal casing.
"I have to be."
Scene: The Spark
That night, as the sky bled crimson above the cracked city dome, Kaila sat alone in the old art hall, the hard drive clutched in her hands.
She looked up at a half-burned sculpture of a woman skating on ice — her body carved from marble, but her eyes painted in gold.
And for the first time since she was a child…
Kaila felt something strange.
Hope.