Halfway up the flight of stairs, leg soreness started to kick in. Just a little more, she kept thinking. No more conspiracies, no more running, no more dragging my friends through this nightmare. In tandem with fatigue, hopeful prospects accompanied her all the way to the top, where she found the other side.

On the roof, where she became reacquainted with the night sky, she recoiled at the deplorable sight of Malvis standing in the middle, waiting. White coat under the stars, ...