Their journey through the city's underbelly became a desperate, exhausting ballet of shadows and near misses.
They descended into the stale, urine-scented air of an underground station late at night.
Jagu, walking stiffly beside them, drew every eye. A group of teenagers froze, pointing, phones instantly raised.
Ash panicked. He didn't mean to lash out, but the Storm Titan's energy, frayed and reactive, surged.
A cascade of sparks erupted from an overhead light fixture, plunging their section of the platform into momentary darkness accompanied by startled shouts. They fled back up the stairs before the lights flickered back on, abandoning the idea of trains.
Seeking open space away from prying eyes, they slipped into a large, neglected city park just before dawn. Mist clung to the ground.
Jagu seemed to draw a measure of strength from the earth and sparse trees. They found a dense thicket near a murky pond.
