The city was quieter than usual, not in a peaceful way, more like it was holding its breath. The skyline flickered in the distance, fractured by plumes of smoke rising from the underground tunnel they'd barely escaped. Cracks in the stone glowed faintly with residual energy, pulsing like the slowed heartbeat of something massive and ancient.
Kia leaned against the broken metal railing overlooking the lower levels. Rust scraped against his shoulder, but he didn't move. He just stood there, watching the light shift over twisted steel and shattered glass. He hadn't slept. Not really.
Lucian was resting back at the hideout, curled up in the same dented corner where he used to read when they were kids, back when the world was smaller and safer and not filled with glowing eyed monsters. Jace had passed out on the floor near the entrance, still wearing his boots, one hand wrapped in a blood soaked cloth. His face was slack with exhaustion, but his fingers occasionally twitched like he was still fighting in his dreams.
But Kia... Kia stayed awake. Watching. Thinking. His thoughts spiraled in circles, useless loops of what ifs and should haves. About Riven's words. About the city waking. About Lucian being "chosen," or changed. About what any of it meant. He ran a hand through his tangled hair and let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding.
"You look like someone who's been hit by a train," a sleepy voice said behind him.
Jace.
Kia didn't turn around. "I feel like it."
Jace limped forward, his hair a mess, eyes puffy from barely an hour of rest. "My ribs are definitely cracked. And I'm ninety percent sure something in my ankle made a noise it wasn't supposed to."
"Want me to check it?" Kia asked.
"I'd rather die."
Kia actually chuckled. Not a full laugh, he didn't have the energy for that, but something like one. "Fair."
They stood there, overlooking the wreckage below, letting silence stretch between them like a worn out blanket. The wind whispered through shattered panels, carrying the scent of ash and blood and metal. Somewhere far below, a creature screamed, just once, then went silent.
Jace crossed his arms. "You okay?"
Kia didn't answer at first. His eyes stayed fixed on the horizon.
"He almost died," Kia finally said, voice quiet.
"But he didn't."
"I didn't get to him fast enough."
"But you did get to him," Jace said, firmer now.
Kia looked down at his hands. They were shaking. He clenched them into fists, nails digging into his palms.
"He was crying," Kia whispered. "When he woke up. He was scared. And I wasn't there when they took him. I should've been there."
"You can't blame yourself for that."
"I do anyway."
Jace didn't argue. He just let the silence sit between them for a moment, then spoke softly. "You did protect him, Kia. You still are. We both are."
Kia didn't respond, but the tension in his shoulders eased, just a little.
Jace shifted his weight. "He asked for you, you know. Woke up for like ten seconds earlier. Mumbled your name."
Kia blinked. "Yeah?"
Jace nodded. "You should go to him. He probably needs to see you."
The hideout was dim. The only light came from a cracked lamp flickering in the corner and the faint morning glow leaking through a curtain that someone had tried, and failed, to hang properly over the broken window.
Lucian stirred as Kia entered, his eyes fluttering open. His skin looked pale against the dull blanket he was wrapped in. "Hey…"
Kia smiled, soft and relieved. "Hey."
Lucian tried to sit up but winced, falling back onto the mattress. "Okay. That was a mistake."
"Yeah, no sudden movements," Kia said, sitting down at the edge of the bed. "Your body's been through hell."
Lucian gave a weak laugh. "I feel like I got hit by a building."
"Close," Kia said. "It was a tunnel. And probably part of the ceiling."
Lucian closed his eyes for a second, breathing slowly. "You stayed?"
"Of course."
Lucian nodded slowly, something tight in his chest easing. "Good. I… I dreamt you left again."
"I won't," Kia said, brushing hair from Lucian's forehead. "Ever."
Lucian looked at him. Really looked at him. Kia's face was bruised, his eyes bloodshot, his clothes still stained with dirt and old blood. He looked exhausted. But he also looked there. Present. Unshaken, despite everything.
"What happens now?" Lucian asked.
Kia leaned back slightly, rubbing at the scar on his jaw. "We figure it out. Together."
Lucian nodded, his fingers twitching against the blanket. "You're stuck with me, then."
"Wouldn't want it any other way."
They sat in silence, not needing words. Outside, the city shifted again, another tremor. Just slight enough to rattle the old lightbulb and make the dust dance in the air. But they didn't flinch. Not this time.
"Do you believe what she said?" Lucian asked suddenly. "About me being... a conduit?"
Kia looked down. "I don't know what to believe anymore. But I know you. That's enough."
Lucian's throat bobbed as he swallowed. "But if I change, if I'm not... me anymore—"
"Then we figure it out," Kia said again, this time more firmly. "If the city wants to rebuild you into something else, it's going to have to go through us."
Lucian laughed quietly, even though it made him wince. "Us against a whole city. Sounds stupid."
"Sounds like us."
They both smiled.
Footsteps sounded in the hallway, uneven and slow. Jace peeked in, still half limping, holding two steaming mugs.
"I come bearing peace offerings," he said. "Boiled water, mystery herbs, and what I think used to be tea."
Lucian sat up slightly. "I'll take it."
Jace handed him the mug and plopped onto a crate. "You're looking more alive. That's good."
"I think my spine disagrees," Lucian muttered, sipping the tea. He gagged. "Oh God, what is this?"
Kia laughed. "Does it matter?"
"No," Lucian said, grimacing. "Not really."
Jace leaned his head back against the wall. "So. What now?"
Silence again. Heavy, but this time it wasn't painful. It was thoughtful.
Lucian stared down into the half filled mug. "She said the city's waking up. That I'm... connected to it somehow."
Jace shrugged. "So we figure out what that means. And we find a way to make it work for us, not against us."
Kia nodded. "We're not running anymore."
Lucian looked between the two of them. His heart ached with something he hadn't let himself feel in a long time: hope.
He smiled, leaning back slowly, letting the warmth of their presence settle over him like a blanket. "You guys are ridiculous."
"Yeah, but we're your ridiculous," Jace said.
And that made Lucian laugh again, softer this time, easier.
He looked at the cracks in the ceiling. At the way the dust swirled through the dim light. At his friends beside him, bruised but alive.
The world outside was falling apart. But in here… for now... He could just breathe.
And he did. Deep and full and real.
Because whatever came next, they would face it together.