Reaching his homeland was no longer simple. The land had been devoured by the sea, leaving nothing but a stretch of endless water.
Chana stared at the endless horizon, his expression unreadable.
"Sir, what should we do now?" the pilot asked, his voice trembling. "People are just… lying everywhere. Not dead, not alive."
"Can you still fly the helicopter?"
"Yeah, I can."
"Good." Chana's tone sharpened, cutting through the haze like a blade. "We're going to Grimoir. This journey doesn't end here."
The pilot swallowed hard and nodded. They turned back toward the airstrip. Until… something spoke.
'…My… authority…'
The sound came from nowhere and everywhere at once, a guttural vibration that tore through the water and rattled the air.
Chana froze. His head snapped toward the ocean. "Did you hear that?"
The pilot blinked, pale and bewildered. "H-hear what, sir?"
The voice returned, clearer this time. A whisper that felt like a roar inside the bones.
