Summer sighed and gazed light curtain breaking the dark buildings’ silhouettes. It was a change from black streets punctuated with spears and empty buildings, for the better she wanted to believe.

She sighed and returned her gaze to the streets, bathed with desperate radiance and patrolled by pitch figures. They chased the light as the buildings rose to familiar towers, yet their long shadows failed to cast them into darkness.

Every step built anticipation, Mensha’s hand hovered over his knife and he strode beside Summer with a measured gait and ever-turning head. The children buzzed and Jeremy plucked Lane up as he bolted. Tessa shot the rest a warning glance.

They turned a corner and luminosity blinded the others, but Summer stared heedless of the glare. Her stomach dropped, and her gaze fled, an empty expanse of grey stone, surrounded them. Buildings silently tore themselves from the featureless stone. Crawling upwards from unseen foundations as if an illusion had been torn free to reveal their desolate interiors before the walls peeled into reality. She whipped around grey slate warped into dark asphalt and painted street lines as the street behind her grew.

She tore her gaze free and found her companions, the platform’s edge had stopped them. Kilometers distant an edifice of light shone into the dark cavern. Layers stack upon thin foundations, buildings that should have found their feet a dozen meters below the earth rested happily on skyscrapers. Like a burning pyre, it stood against the patchwork constellations

Summer’s gaze fell, twisting roads snaked from the city, in a tangled mess of street lights. That blended with dark roads creeping from the dark. Easily several hundred meters down.

She blinked and her gaze followed the lightless roads. She found the shadows of squat cities silhouetted by the stars and populated by faint glimmers. She noticed something a press, where before only absence weighed on her. The buzz of humanity however far drifted to her ears. Her first breeze in days brought the smell of exhaust.

She smiled, dread left her, as did words and all thought. She stared and failed to understand her welling emotions and tears. Seconds dragged to minutes yet nothing unseated her until minutes multiplied and contemplation sprouted like a weed.

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What now, her wet eyes drifted and she noticed a streak of fire swim across the expanse below. It was noted then sunk below her current revelation. She wiped her eyes.

“What now?” she said and turned to the others. Wonder shone in the children, though Tessa was moments from tears.

Mensha glanced at her and had the his eyes wide, hos gaze bounced across the scene and returned to her, “We keep going,” he had the audacity to sound confident.

She huffed, “Of course, and how are we going to do that,”

He graced her with ghost of a smile “I don’t know,” he said and returned to staring. If only she could be so caviler.

She sighed and took a deep breath, and gazed at the expanse below them. How far, how many people lay dead int those unseen cities.

This changed nothing, she glared at the city, a day a week a year. Help whoever she could. She couldn’t stop, only now she had a destination in mind.

“What are we going to do,” Tessa rambled with hands clutched to her chest. She buckled and fell to her knees. Summer steadied the woman with her hand, she curled up and her words fell to mindless plead. Her wards jerked to ward off her shock and concern written on their faces.

“We keep going,” her partner said glancing at the crying woman with faint amusement.

She whipped her head at him, “How!” the sound grated like shattered glass.

He shrugged, “I don’t know,”

“You!, you,” she stumbled to her feet.

Summer squeezed her shoulder, “Tessa.” She pleaded.

They turned to her, cheeks lined with rears, “This was supposed to be it we’re supposed to be safe,” her voice cracked.

She pulled the small woman into a hug, “I understand,” she swallowed and braced, “but they need you,” she turned the woman, to stare into her ward’s wide eyes.

Guilt and a smile flashed across Tessa, while the former stung Summer. “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.” and raced to hug them.

Mensha saddled around the group, “Well done,” he whispered and smiled at the tearful group,

“Did you plan that,” she hissed.

“No, I’d however think talking was more useful than all of us panicking in the open.” He said without an ounce of guild.

She took a deep breath, everyone responded to stress in different ways and this joyful apathy was his. “You don’t have to be an ass about it,”

His lip curled in contemplation, “True,” he nodded.

She sighed and glanced at the city and the yellow streak, she decided not to think about them. She nudged the group, and they pulled themselves together. Lane was missing, she whirled around and found him half over the edge. She leaned over and glimpsed, the building creeping upwards and the unsupported extending out into the towards the distant city.

She dragged him back and convened with the others to huddle into the city, she paid a glance to their glowing destination.

A cascade of clicks rumbled through the air and interrupted their path.