The night over Haven Ring wasn’t dark anymore.

Not truly. The clouds pulsed faintly, veins of soft gold flickering through them like a living sky wired to some vast unseen pulse. The city’s lattice towers glowed at irregular intervals—sometimes in rhythm, sometimes in defiance. Every flare of light felt like a breath that didn’t belong to the atmosphere anymore.

Gray stood on the western balcony of the control annex, both hands gripping the cold metal rail, eyes locked on the horizon. ...