The explosion faded behind them, swallowed by the howling winds. Even through the chaos, Cain and Alita could still feel its echo rumbling through the dunes like a dying god's heartbeat. They could no longer sense the Neo-Angel at all, but they didn't dare slow down.
Their mantles of energy shimmered and bent, diverting waves of molten sand that clawed at their skin. They kept running, gliding, pushing forward through the storm until the world became nothing but motion and light.
If Bradly caught them again, they wouldn't be so lucky. This desert would become their tomb.
Only after nearly an hour—and countless blind turns meant to throw off pursuit—did the pair finally stop. Cain landed heavily, his knees buckling beneath him. He almost collapsed entirely, gasping for air that burned his lungs. His body and soul both trembled under unbearable pressure; he had pushed himself far beyond his limits.
The price of survival had been steep.
