Thomas didn't plan to stay another minute in a place crawling with addicts.
They were still close to the settlement when Nevin finally asked, watching Thomas drive in silence. "That's it? We're just leaving?"
"Yeah," Thomas said quietly.
"You're not gonna smash anything? Punch a dealer? Burn their base?"
"Would it change anything?"
Nevin froze mid-air. He wanted to argue, but he couldn't.
It had been days since they left the settlement, and still no sign of the Red Hands. Thomas's thoughts were far from the road. His hand hovered over a small Pink Fragment, fingers twitching before he finally tossed it into his mouth.
Closing his eyes, he muttered under his breath, "I'm not an addict. I'm not an addict." Then he swallowed hard.
A laugh came from outside the Hammer truck. "That's exactly what an addict would say," Nevin said, his glowing form drifting beside the window.
"Yeah," Bryan shouted from above, wings beating as he scouted ahead. "You're really convincing us, Thomas. Maybe say it one more time for luck."
Thomas tightened his grip on the wheel. "I can stop whenever I want."
"Sure," Nevin said with a smirk. "But you won't."
Iris sighed from the passenger seat. "Can you three not start this early in the morning?"
It was dangerous, but necessary. The Pink Fog made them stronger, and absorbing Pink Fragments was the only way to grow their Glint abilities.
The others didn't take the fragments the way Thomas did. They absorbed them through the fog, the natural method for those with Glint forms. None of them skipped a day. Maybe that was why Iris and Bryan had already reached Stage 1, and why Nevin could feel his breakthrough coming soon.
Thomas was still Stage 1, but it was clear he was close to advancing. His strength had grown so much that he could face a Fade Caller alone now.
Bryan returned from his aerial scout, landing lightly beside the truck. "Still no sign of Callers, but I don't like how quiet it's been. Either we're getting lucky, or something's waiting for us."
"We're not fighting unless we have to," Iris said. "If a Caller's in the way, we deal with it. If not, we move around. Simple."
Thomas frowned. "Doesn't feel right. We've been in the Fog this long, and not one big fight?"
"We're not complaining," Nevin said, drifting ahead as he used his float to scout the path. "Maybe the Red Hands got tired of chasing us."
"Doubt it," Bryan replied. "They're just waiting."
The next few days passed in uneasy peace. They hunted stray Fades, scavenged abandoned stores, and refueled the Hammer truck whenever they found gas. The Fog was both their battleground and their training ground, but they stayed careful, only fighting when necessary.
Luck seemed to be with them. No Callers since the battle with the Archivists. No Red Hands either. Maybe they'd finally given up. Maybe they'd found something else to chase. Maybe.
On the morning of the fourth day, they finally reached their next stop, Region 4, District 19.
Bryan landed beside the truck, wings stirring up dust as he folded them back. "We've got something ahead. A safe zone. A big one."
Thomas straightened in his seat. "City-sized?"
Bryan nodded. "At least. And it looks active."
Thomas's stomach growled loud enough for everyone to hear. "Meat," he muttered like it was a prayer. Then he glanced at Iris and Nevin. "Hop in. We're getting there fast."
They still had payment from their last big job with the Archivists, enough for a bit of luxurious spending and Thomas was already imagining how to use it.
Iris sighed but climbed into the truck with Nevin. "Just remember we're not here just for food. We need proper supplies too."
Thomas acted like he didn't hear her and stepped harder on the gas.
As they got closer, the city's walls came into view, tall, solid, and well-built. Unlike the small struggling settlements they'd passed, this one looked like it could actually last. Fortified gates, watchtowers, and lines of guards gave it the feel of real order. People waited at the entrance, traders hauled goods, and guards checked each traveler before letting them in.
For a moment, it almost felt normal. Like the world before the Pink Fog.
"Looks organized," Bryan said quietly. "Not like the other dumps we've seen."
"They're rebuilding," Iris said, watching through the window as the gates opened to reveal rows of stalls packed with food, clothes, and weapons. Vendors shouted prices, argued, and traded, a scene that almost felt alive again.
Thomas slowed the truck to a stop at the checkpoint. A guard in heavy armor stepped forward and eyed the vehicle. "Welcome to District 19, the City of Graves. State your business."
Thomas blinked. "The what now?"
A boy, maybe twelve at most, leaned casually against the gate, flipping a coin between his fingers. "First time here? Then for a small fee, I'll tell you everything you need to know."
Thomas gave him a flat stare. "You want me to pay you just to tell me where I am?"
"It's a big city," the boy said, grinning. "You don't want to step on the wrong toes."
Thomas crossed his arms. "We'll handle it ourselves."
The boy shrugged. "Suit yourselves. Just don't say I didn't warn you when you find out this place isn't what it looks like."
Thomas sighed and glanced at Iris. "See? This is why we don't trust kids."
Iris shot him a look. "No, this is why kids don't trust you."
Thomas smirked but didn't argue. The gates creaked open once they paid the required entrance fee, revealing the heart of the city.
Inside, the safe zone buzzed with life. People filled the streets, merchants called out from stalls, and for once, it felt like civilization had survived the end of the world.
"They're really trying to rebuild," Bryan said, watching as a group of children ran by laughing, like they'd never seen the horrors outside.
But beneath that liveliness, something felt off.
A satellite broadcast echoed through the city from loudspeakers mounted on rooftops and street corners. It was an old transmission being replayed, but for Thomas and his crew, who had been away from civilization for days, it was new.
"We're live with Dr. Halbridge, leading researcher on the Fog phenomenon. Doctor, can you tell us more about your latest findings on the Callers?"
Dr. Halbridge's calm voice came through the speakers. "Yes. Our latest observations confirm how Callers are formed. Stray Fades begin to gather naturally, and as their numbers grow, one among them mutates beyond the rest. This dominant Fade releases an aura that alters the others, reshaping them into its own kind. Once a pack reaches around more than 100, the leader becomes what we call a pseudo-Boss. When it claims territory and controls roughly two hundred or more, it transitions into a full Boss, ruling over that domain."
"And what about Fragments, Doctor? Many still don't understand how they work."
"Fragments remain one of our most important discoveries. Pink Fragments, as most of you know, enhance Glint abilities and have become a universal trade currency. White Fragments, much rarer, are used to establish and sustain Safe Zones. Grey Fragments, though rarely dropped by regular Fades, can also be used by Glints to enter existing Safe Zones safely."
"There were reports about combining fragments. Is that true?"
"Yes. Twelve Grey Fragments can be fused into a single White Fragment. These White Fragments can then be merged into larger ones, expanding the Safe Zone's radius. However, twelve Grey Fragments only create a radius of about one foot."
He continued, "We've also confirmed that vehicles can travel through the Pink Fog if equipped with a large enough White Fragment. The fragment's protective radius must fully cover the vehicle to create a stable mobile Safe Zone, allowing passengers to move without triggering Glint transformations."
"One last question, Doctor. We've been hearing about so-called 'edible Nightmare creatures.' Are those real?"
"They are," Halbridge confirmed. "Nightmare creature are animals and plants that have mutated after long exposure to the Fog. What's surprising is that once they're killed and brought inside a Safe Zone, their bodies revert to normal, making them completely edible. Several regions have already started organized hunts to secure food this way."
He added, "Still, we urge extreme caution. Outside a Safe Zone, these creatures are unstable and dangerously aggressive."
The broadcast continued, but Thomas had already lost interest. His mind was elsewhere, focused on what really mattered to him.
His eyes lit up as he caught the last part of the broadcast. "Did you hear that? Meat! Let's find a place to eat!"
Nevin snorted. "You just heard about Callers, Boss Fades, White Fragments, and safe zone tech, and that's what got your attention?"
Thomas shrugged. "I don't see any Callers or Boss Fades here. I see food stalls. Priorities, Nevin. Priorities."
They moved deeper into the city. The farther they went, the lively surface gave way to something uneasy. The crowds, the noise, even the smell of grilled meat all felt like a cover for something they could not see.
Thomas slowed his steps, eyes scanning the people around them. "Alright," he muttered. "This place feels... different."