It was nearing sunrise, and we were stumbling through the forest. We hadn't bothered to make camp, wanting to put as much distance between us and the beetles as possible.
Only at first light did we see it—the ruins of a burned-out village.
"Looks fresh," Lyric said, and we all stopped.
The smell of smoke still clung to the air.
I closed my eyes and reached into the code. I sensed a dozen faint traces—Rotcastors—moving through the village not long ago. But they were gone now. Nothing alive remained.
"It's safe, at least from the raiders. They've moved on," I said quietly.
Cautiously, I stepped toward one of the houses. The others followed close behind.
"Fan out and look for supplies. They might've left something useful," Lyric called.
"Not likely," Taz muttered.
"Shouldn't we pair up?" Corrin asked, voice tight with nerves.
"Fine. Taz and Corrin, take the left side. Me, Mira, and Alis will go right. We'll meet in the middle," Lyric said, already heading off. Mira clutched her hand, trailing close behind. I followed, feeling every bit the third wheel.
We started with the first house. Splinters, ash, wreckage. The Castors had made sure to destroy everything.
Each house on our side told the same story. Nothing but blackened wood and silence.
When we regrouped, Taz held up a single crushed loaf of bread. It must've been missed when a roof caved in. We split it five ways, chewing in silence.
"Which crew do you think did this?" Mira asked in a low voice.
"Could've been a faction from Hexa's camp. Or one of her rivals," Taz said. He was still nibbling at his piece like it might vanish. "Now that she's gone, territory lines are meaningless."
"You think they'll do this to our home?" Corrin asked. His eyes were wide.
"Nox would never let that happen. And neither would Rosa," I said, laying a hand on his arm.
"The Order of Eden won't either," Lyric added. "They're keeping an eye on our people. A rule-abiding village? That's useful to them." She let out a bitter laugh. "Of course, we won't be rule-abiding for much longer."
I frowned. "You think they'd let us burn, too?"
"No. They're too smart for that," Mira said quickly. "They need us—breeders. Their genetic pool is shrinking. Most of them are practically cousins at this point." Her cheeks flushed. "I used to work for them… That's how I met Lyric."
Lyric gave her a soft kiss on the cheek.
"They can't risk coding new Runners without viable parents," Mira continued. "That's why Priya and her baby are so important. From her, they can build a whole generation…" She looked down. "I'm ashamed of my past with them."
I couldn't help the distaste I felt in that moment... That this girl had once helped Priya's kidnappers. But when I saw her tears, it melted, I could understand shame, I carried it too.
I saw the flicker in Lyric's eye. It had once been her dream to join the Order. I wondered if she'd known this part.
"The Order of Eden is sick," Taz spat. "They use us up the second we have value. I came from a small village—poor, but safe. Then they arrived. They took my sister."
"Took her? Like Priya?" My pulse jumped. I thought of Vivid. Had the Order taken her too?
I felt sick, my mouth filled with a sour bile.
Taz opened his mouth, but before he could speak, the earth groaned.
It was the sound of soil tearing, roots snapping, trees falling.
I dropped into the code-world and saw it—rapid deterioration, reality shifting beneath us.
"Everyone run!" I shouted. "Get away from the village! Now!"
The ground heaved.
We sprinted for the path we'd come from. Mira and Lyric were at my side. I heard Corrin and Taz just behind.
We reached the path and I turned—Corrin stood frozen, staring down.
Taz was clinging to the edge of the collapse.
"He saved me," Corrin stammered. "He pushed me forward—I wouldn't have made it."
"Hold on!" I yelled.
I dove back into the code. My fingers worked fast, pulling loose roots toward me, braiding them into a makeshift rope with desperate precision.
Then it arrived.
"Threat detected."
"I know! Just let me save my friend first—he's not part of the collapse!" I shouted at the white eyes.
I finished the last knot. In the real world, Lyric and Mira were already pulling him up.
"My mission is to protect the Architects' Cradle. Must neutralize. Must stabilize."
"Just wait. Please. He'll die if you act now," I pleaded. "Let them finish pulling him up."
"He is unnatural."
"He is a person. And he is innocent," I said. "Let us save him. We won't interfere again."
A pause. A hesitation. And then, it receded.
I dove back into the physical world, grabbing hold of the rope. We gave one final tug and Taz was up, safe.
A moment later, the massive hole sealed itself—silent, as if nothing had happened.
We stood there, breathless, staring into empty forest.