The pine needles were damp beneath Kyle's back, smelling of old sap and crushed earth. Above them, the stars were cold and sharp, completely unbothered by the chaos that had just unfolded in the Spire.
Around them, the forty-seven refugees collapsed into the underbrush, weeping quietly or huddled together in dazed silence. Marcus stood near a towering pine, his hands trembling as he rested his weight against a stolen guard spear, his eyes wide as he stared back at the dark ridge where the portal had snapped shut.
Kyle lay motionless, his chest heaving. The holographic blue interface tied to the auxiliary link was still flickering weak warnings beside Snow's primary red alerts.
**[BOND LINK: CRITICAL STATUS]**
**Subject:** Yua Nua Akemi niru
**Race:** Pureblood Vampire (Suppressed)
**Status:** Blood Core Collapse Imminent (1%)
**Vitality:** 2/1000
