The crater still glowed where the district had been erased.
Heat shimmered above the blackened ground. Ash drifted upward in slow spirals, pulled by currents that had not yet settled. In the center of it all, the Black Covenant jacket lay untouched, its surface dark and whole against a field of ruin.
Then, the sky shifted again.
A column of gold descended, not like the violent strike before, but focused and soft. It did not tear through the air; it pressed into it, bending light inward as it formed a narrow corridor from the upper atmosphere to the scorched ground below.
Suddenly, three figures materialized.
All three wore cloaks that absorbed the surrounding light, fabric hanging without motion despite the rising heat. Veils obscured their faces. They stood in a loose formation, boots settling against earth that had only just stopped burning.
The tallest figure moved first.
She reached up and pulled back her hood.
