Chapter 49

Hardly a living soul was visible as Jo and Zane walked down the streets of Magadan. The wind was blowing at a sharp clip, sending the snow from the ground swirling and biting into their skin. It didn’t bother either of them, but a human would’ve found it quite unpleasant.

Jo was glad for the solace of it. They made their way down the deserted streets, away from the hotel and the mostly closed up shops toward what used to be a city park. Now, the plants had taken over much of the area, the high grass visible above the snow, the tree branches clearly needing a good trim, and the play area rusted, many of the attractions missing key parts. It looked exactly how she would expect a park abandoned after an apocalypse to look, which made her feel quite welcome.

A large pond took up the far western quarter of the park. Jo headed there. Her keen eyesight cut through the distance so that she could see the surface long before she arriv