The morning was filled with a quiet clarity that comes only after great upheavals.
No wind, no rain – just the fine shimmering of the air, as if the world were holding its breath.
Lina stood at the edge of the western plain. The grass glowed in the soft violet of the new light that Malrik had left behind. Everywhere she looked, crystal veins grew from the earth – not a cold, technical structure, but something organic. Like pulsating roots of a new era.
Footsteps approached from behind her. Rhea, sweaty and tired, carried a small drone under her arm.
"The measurements are stable," she said. "No radiation, no instability. Just... growth."
"It feels like a heartbeat," whispered Lina.
She knelt down, placing her hand on the ground. A gentle warmth rose up, penetrating her chest. "He's still alive. Somehow."
Rhea remained silent. She knew who Lina meant, and there was nothing to say about it.
