71

TRUCK

By the Source, I've dreamed of this my whole life, and now it's finally happening.

We are entering the ruins of the city.

The four of us - Kane in the lead, me and Dog in the back, the three of us forming a protective triangle around Orchid in the middle.

The monolithic skyscrapers tower in front of us, blocking out the sun. According to the stories, they were built more than a century ago, before the big change. Now these man-made structures are gradually being reclaimed by the land as their vertical stone walls are covered in creeping vines.

Overhead, window panes shimmer in the sunlight amid the dense leaves of surrounding foliage. Other windows, their panes broken long ago, stare darkly out of the walls like dead eyes. A cloud of white birds weaves in and out of the verdant, overgrown towers.

At first glance, the entire city looks deserted, but my nose tells me otherwise.

There are hundreds of Alphas here. Maybe even thousands. I can smell their collective scent wafting in t