Bob was thinking it through. A boss-level Fade usually required a Stage 3 Glint. Right now, only he and Iris were at that level. But Stage 3 didn't mean stronger. It just meant the fight was fair. Win or lose, it could go either way.
He had crushed the Minotaur Boss in Vance territory without much effort. That was only because he was already beyond Stage 3. Still, he wasn't at Stage 4. Not even close. Handling one boss-level Fade was manageable. Two or more would be pushing it.
If a Caller Fade matched with Stage 2, and a boss-level Fade matched with Stage 3, then a King Fade was most likely designed for Stage 4 Glints.
That was the problem. To fight a King, they needed someone at Stage 4 just to make it a real fight. But none of them were there. Not even close. Right now, they had no chance.
"There is only one thing we can do," Bob said.
Vance and Elra looked at him closely. If the big guy had a plan, it had to be something good.
"We need to evacuate. Everyone will die if we try to fight what's coming," Bob said.
Silence followed.
Vance and Elra stared at him. That was it? Run?
They wanted to argue. Maybe there was another way. But their minds came up blank. No backup plan. No miracle idea. And they didn't have time to think it through. The enemy was already heading here.
"Let's go with that," Elra said, voice tight. "I can't think of any other way to get through this."
She paused for half a second. That was all it took for her to lock it in.
"Sound the alarm. Get everyone out. We'll make the announcement ourselves."
She turned to Vance. "We'll need help moving people. And we can't leave the fragment behind. The safe zone depends on it."
Vance looked stunned for a moment, but he pushed it down.
"Yes. We'll assist. Let's head to the communication room and start the evacuation."
No one argued. There wasn't time for doubt.
"Wait. Did you forget something?" Bob said, stopping them.
Vance turned, confused. "What are you talking about?"
"Phantom City," Bob said. "It's just half a day's walk from here."
Vance still didn't understand. "Yeah? So?"
Gabe stepped in. "That's where we're evacuating to, right? That's the plan?"
"Exactly," Bob said. "And after Greystone gets hit, Phantom is next."
Vance froze.
The plan was to move everyone from Greystone to Phantom. It was the closest safe zone. Less than an hour by car. Maybe half a day on foot. But that also meant it was well within the King's reach.
They weren't escaping. They were just giving the King another city to wipe out.
If Phantom fell right after, then where would they go?
"We just passed by a big city called Graves City. It's a few days from Phantom, in District 4-04," Gabe said, as if answering what Vance was already thinking.
"I think we can head there and decide what to do next once we arrive. The King might stop in this area, here in District 5-01, to build his kingdom. Like how Boss Fades settle down."
He was referring to the known behavior of Boss-level Fades. Unlike Callers that moved around, Bosses usually stayed in one place and marked it as their territory. They rarely wandered. If this King followed the same pattern, it would need a larger area. A kingdom, not just a base.
The northern cities, including Greystone and Phantom, could end up as part of that territory. But Graves City was farther south, outside that range. It might still be safe.
"Thank you for the information. We'll consider that," Vance said.
Then he turned and ran with Mayor Elra toward the communication room. They needed to call Phantom City. Not just to help Greystone's evacuation, but to evacuate Phantom as well.
-----
Inside the communication room, the tension was rising. Orders flew back and forth. Radios buzzed with movement reports. The city was preparing to move.
Vance stood over a console, speaking with his deputy in Phantom City. Elra was a few feet away, giving sharp commands to her guards.
"Phantom City needs to be ready to receive evacuees from Greystone," Vance said into the mic. "Clear the outer sectors. Set up temporary shelters and rations. Once they arrive, we'll begin a joint retreat toward Graves City."
Elra turned to her head scout. "Deploy every tracking team we have. I want the King's position monitored at all times. Use the towers. Use the rooftops. If that's not enough, bring in volunteers. We lose sight of that thing, people die."
"Yes, Leader Elra," the scout said firmly.
Vance glanced over. "Phantom scouts are on the way to support once they arrive. Reinforcements should reach you in under an hour."
He paused as another message came through his headset.
"We've confirmed. Phantom is ready to receive the first wave. It's time."
Elra nodded slowly. She looked at the screen showing the layout of the city, then to her officers. Her voice was steady, but her hands were tight at her sides.
"Prepare the broadcast," she said. "I'll speak to the people myself."
She knew what this meant. She was about to tell them that the safe zone they trusted was no longer safe. That they had to leave everything behind and move to another city already at risk. And after that, keep moving again.
The alarm echoed across the city once more. The first was a warning. The second meant the leader had something to say.
All eyes turned to the screens and speakers as Elra's voice came through.
"Citizens of Greystone," she began, steady but strained. "It pains me to say this, but we must evacuate. Our safe zone, the place we've protected and built together, can no longer hold."
There was a pause. She breathed in, then continued.
"A massive wave of Fades is heading toward us. Over a thousand. And leading them is something far worse… a King Fade. Even with the full force of Greystone and Phantom combined, we cannot stop it."
"We will evacuate to Phantom City first. From there, we'll move again, together, to a safer place. I know this is not what anyone wants to hear. But if we stay, we die."
"This is not surrender. This is survival. And we will endure, as we always have. Together."
The city fell into silence.
Some people collapsed where they stood, tears running down their faces. Others broke into a run, heading for their homes, calling out for family. A few hugged tightly, saying early goodbyes, not knowing what waited beyond the city walls. Some gathered weapons, ready to stand and help in any way they could.
But no one felt safe anymore.
Just a little over thirty minutes after the announcement, the first wave of Phantom troops arrived at the gates of Greystone City.
The sound of engines filled the air. Soldiers in uniform rode in on 4x4 jeeps, ten-wheeler trucks, transport trailers, and buses. Dozens of vehicles poured into the city, forming a long convoy that stretched back to the edge of the fog. More were coming. Some were from Phantom. Others were local, old trade vehicles from Greystone that had not been used until a day ago when the roads were finally cleared.
Now, they were not for trade. They were for survival.
The sight of the convoy caused another ripple of panic. The citizens already knew what was coming, but seeing soldiers take positions and trucks lining up made it real. The fear in the air grew heavier.
"Children and elderly will ride in the main trucks. Capable men and women will walk beside them as escorts," shouted one of Greystone's lead guards through a megaphone.
"Form a line. Follow the assigned markers."
The city was loud. Parents shouted for their children. People carried bags, crates, and even cages with pets. Some cried. Some moved quietly, holding onto each other.
The total population was over one hundred thousand. There was no way to move them all at once. This would take multiple trips back and forth between Greystone and Phantom. And they did not have time.
Gabe stood on a balcony near the plaza, watching the growing convoy below. Sly stood beside him, arms crossed.
"We do not have enough mobile safe zones," Gabe muttered.
Sly nodded. "Or Grey Fragments."
Most of the population could not even transform. Long exposure to the fog would turn them into Fades. The only way to protect them during the trip was to keep them inside vehicles acting as mobile safe zones. But there were not enough for everyone.
Those who could transform still needed Grey Fragments to enter Phantom safely. The fragments had to charge after each use, so even if someone arrived, they could not hand it off to the next person right away. That meant the evacuation had to happen in batches.
Some soldiers would have to stay behind in Phantom while others brought the fragments back for the next wave.
Trucks revved and began loading the first wave. Greystone guards formed human chains to keep the crowd from breaking ranks. Phantom troops checked their gear, their faces grim.
"This feels wrong," Sly said. "Like we are getting ready for a funeral."
Gabe did not answer right away.
He watched a group of children being lifted into the back of a trailer. One of them waved back at a man still in line, possibly a father. The man did not move or speak. He just stood there, watching.
Gabe finally said, "It is not a funeral. Not yet. But if we fail here, it will be."