POV: Daniel

Night came slower in the new world.

Not the way it used to — bleeding gradually across the horizon, blues turning to purples then black.

No.

Here darkness fell like sleep on a wounded body: sudden, heavy, absolute.

One moment the sky was pale gold.

The next, it dimmed like someone had covered the sun with a hand.

Clara sucked in a breath beside me. “It just… shut off.”

“It’s learning,” I said quietly. “The world. The ...