The moment the Static Node collapsed, reality rushed back into the barren valley like a tidal wave of life. The oppressive silence was shattered by the sound of a gentle wind whistling through the rocks.
The dull, lifeless gray of the world exploded into a rich tapestry of color, the deep browns and blacks of the stone, the brilliant, crisp blue of the sky.
The weak, tired sun suddenly felt warm and real. The world was breathing again.
On the ground, Ryan stumbled, a wave of profound exhaustion washing over him. The act of "imposing hope," of pouring his own soul and the souls of his friends into a wound in reality, had taken nearly everything he had. His legs felt like lead, and the world swam before his eyes.
Before he could fall, Scarlett was there. She moved with a speed that was faster than thought, her strong arm wrapping around him, supporting his weight. "I've got you," she said, her voice a low, steady anchor in his sea of exhaustion.
