Chapter 242: What Grows in the Dark
Nyx Vespera emerged from the rusted grate of the underground service track.
She stepped into a quiet, shadowed alleyway. She was deep inside Sector Two of Bastion One. She pulled her hood down, dismissing the two-dimensional plane of her shadow magic, and stood physically in the enemy Capital.
The contrast hit her like a physical blow.
She had just left a city where fourteen people had died of cold and malnutrition in a single night. She had watched children shivering outside empty distribution centers.
Bastion One was glowing.
The wide, paved streets were brightly lit by flawless runic lamps. The night markets a block away were crowded with laughing civilians carrying fresh produce, roasted meats, and heavy wheels of cheese. The air smelled of expensive perfumes and hot bread.
Nobody here was hungry. Nobody here knew that anyone else was.
