Dust and silence settled over the remains of the city. The once-pulsing hive was now a smoldering crater, its malevolent energy dissipated into the ashen air. The red barrier was gone, revealing a bleak, but normal, twilight sky.
Julian and Clarissa sat amidst the rubble at the city's shattered edge, far enough from the blast zone to be safe. They were covered in grime, blood, and sweat, their bodies aching, but they were alive. For a long moment, they simply breathed, leaning against each other, listening to the absence of screeches and psychic whispers.
"That was... too close," Julian finally said, his voice a dry rasp. He coughed, a cloud of dust puffing from his lips.
Clarissa nodded against his shoulder, her own voice soft but steady. "Thank goodness it worked out. Even with all the... improvisation."
