Javier's POV
Smoke claws through the stairwell like a living thing, choking the air from my lungs and burning my throat raw.
"Wendy, we need to move now!" I grip her hand harder than I should, but she doesn't complain.
She's already pulling ahead of me, her dark cloak whipping behind her like liquid shadow. The building shudders beneath our feet as another explosion rocks the lower floors. These zealots have zero subtlety, which means they'll draw every damn authority in the city straight to us.
We hit the final flight of stairs running. I slam my shoulder into the roof access door and we burst into the night air.
The cold hits my face like a slap, driving the smoke from my burning lungs. I gulp down oxygen like a drowning man breaking the surface. The city sprawls endlessly below us, all gleaming glass towers and neon promises. Sirens wail in the distance, but from up here, it almost looks peaceful.
