The sky over the city was calm again.
No storm.
No screaming swarm.
Just the low hum of the HOPE transport capsule slicing through the clouds.
Inside the pod, silence lingered.
Leo sat across from Jade, hands resting on his knees, fingers twitching slightly. Amy sat beside him, arms crossed but relaxed now. Jeasus, as usual, was fidgeting with the glowing console near the door, pretending he wasn't glancing at Jade every five seconds.
Jade stared at the floor.
No cuffs.
No restraints.
But the tension in her shoulders said she still felt imprisoned—by herself.
The capsule dipped slightly, signaling they were descending.
A voice echoed from the speaker.
"Now arriving: Haven. HOPE Main Facility."
A soft hiss.
Then the doors opened to white light.
Jade squinted as she stepped out. The floor was polished obsidian. Blue veins of energy pulsed beneath the glass panels like a beating heart.
HOPE Base.
