CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT — DAWN ESCAPE / THE RESONANCE STIRS
The sky was still in that muted almost-morning haze—neither night nor day, a dead grey-blue like wet ash. Haven South slept uneasily. Lamps flickered. Dogs paced. Metal wind chimes rattled as if bothered by something unseen.
The group moved through the quiet settlement like shadows.
Toady led the way, steady and silent.
Norther whispered directions.
Yoshi kept glancing over his shoulder.
Mewo gripped their rock like it was holy.
Cornball complained under his breath just enough for Gebrix to shush him.
Goober stuck close to Gebrix, heart pounding.
Curator kept scanning every corner, every antenna, every ripple of light.
Corpse.Bride looked ready to fight the sun itself if necessary.
Shira carried the med kit.
Masquerades was nowhere in sight—whether by choice or by design.
Haven South’s front gate loomed ahead.
Two guards drowsed in the watch post.
Norther motioned. “Follow my signal.”
He timed the guards’ head positions—counted their blinks, their yawns, the sweep of their lantern beam.
“Now.”
And just like that—
they slipped through the gate.
Quiet. Clean. Untouched.
They stepped into the cold wasteland morning, boots crunching on frostbitten sand.
None of them looked back.
Not yet.
