Chapter 41: A Ravaged World
Zane and Shelby walked in silence, putting distance between themselves and the three cloaked agents. After Kassam’s rudeness, neither of them felt like engaging further with people who clearly had no respect for them.
Their boots echoed against the cracked asphalt as they made their way through the city ruins. Debris of shattered concrete, bent streetlights, and twisted rebar lined their path—silent witnesses of a civilization long fallen. Entire buildings leaned like dying giants, and the wind carried nothing but dust and decay.
There wasn’t a single soul in sight—not human, not beast. Even the usual hum of insects or birdsong was absent.
Too quiet.
Too dead.
The only sound breaking the silence was the steady rhythm of their footsteps.
Finally, Shelby sighed and broke the oppressive stillness. "Oi, boy, we’ve walked nearly five miles, and all we’ve met are broken buildings and ghosts. This place is a damned graveyard. Doesn’t it seem off to you?"
Zane nodded slowly, eyes scanning the horizon. "Yeah... A ravaged world. Still, I feel like something’s watching. Something’s alive—just not showing itself. Judging by the infrastructure, this place was once a hub of intelligent life. Something must have gone horribly wrong."
Shelby rubbed the back of his neck. "You think they were like us?"
"You mean human?" Zane raised an eyebrow.
Shelby nodded.