The colossal shadow bird ripped through the air, leaving the ruined amusement park far behind them.
Hide stared at the horizon, his jaw locked tight. The sky itself looked like it had been violently stitched together. The artificial boundary of their Three-Star loop gate had completely shattered, and a terrifying, alien mountain range had forcefully merged with their apocalyptic city.
The air was so saturated with wild mana that every breath tasted like copper.
"Evelyn," Hide yelled over the rushing wind, not taking his eyes off the new landscape. "Do you know anything about what's happening?!"
Evelyn was clutching his waist tightly, her face buried into his back to shield herself from the wind. She peeked out, her eyes wide with absolute panic.
"I...I don't know!" she yelled back, her voice cracking. "This isn't supposed to happen! Loop gates are stable and don't break!"
