The silhouette of the Gugwe-mok loomed ahead, etched in outlines of ash and twisted metal. Even from this distance, it looked wrong, its form a mass of living roots and pulsing wood, anchored to the cracked streets like it belonged there more than the buildings ever had.
Jin adjusted the grip on his sword. Every step forward felt like moving toward a storm that didn't yet know it was breaking.
Seo walked slightly ahead, her pace measured, unhurried. As they approached the edge of the next clearing, once a plaza, now just a sunken sprawl of debris, she lifted a hand, motioning the others to pause.
She turned her head slightly. "Stay sharp. We're in range."
Her voice had that same unshakable tone it always did before issuing a command. And sure enough, a second later:
"New Order," she said. "For the next thirty minutes, no harm may come to my allies."
The world shifted.
Not visually. Not audibly.
