The Fallen Angel turned its gaze away from King.

And looked directly at Eli’s position.

"Shit," Eli muttered over the earpiece. "I’ve been compromised."

Eli’s boots scrambled across the rooftop as he made his way down. The Spirit Eagle launched into the air, already scanning for a route as Eli repositioned.

"Found a path, two blocks east," Eli said inbetween breaths "I’m sending you coordinates "

A waypoint appeared on King’s interface, marking a location deeper into the city.

"Got it," King replied. "We’ll meet you there."

He grabbed Vi’s arm and pulled her forward.

"Come on."

They ran.

King led them through a narrow alley and between collapsed buildings, avoiding the main streets where few demi-humans still prowled. The child clung to Vi’s neck, silent except for the occasional sniffle.

They ran for a moment before King slowed to a jog, checking the waypoint on his interface.

"Almost there," he said.

They turned a corner and spotted Eli ahead, crouched behind an overturned truck. The older man waved them over, and they sprinted the remaining distance.

"That thing still following?" king asked as they reached him.

Eli shook his head.

"No. it didn’t."

King nodded, His thoughts were confirmed, most valuable NPCs operated in specific zones. They don’t leave their territories unless provoked beyond a certain threshold. That Fallen Star has probably marked that building as its domain."

Eli exhaled, lowering his rifle slightly.

He glanced at Vi, who was breathing hard, still holding the child.

"That’s her huh, who’s the kid?"

"Vi found her in the building, we can’t just leave her here"

"Right, so what’s next." Eli asked.

"We can’t leave Constin right now. Too many demi-humans between here and the perimeter. We need to find a safe haven and wait it out."

Eli nodded.

"I’ll check around. Give me a minute."

The translucent bird circled the surrounding blocks. Through the shared vision, Eli scanned buildings, looking for structures that were intact, defensible, and empty.

After a moment, he found one.

"Found one," Eli said. " It’s a reinforced building. Looks like it used to be a bank. Heavy doors. Barred windows, and no movement inside."

"Perfect," King said. "Lead the way."

They moved quickly, staying low and keeping cover. The bank was three blocks away, and luckily, they reached it without encountering any hostiles.

The entrance was intact, the heavy metal door still on its hinges. King pushed it open, and they slipped inside.

The interior was dark, lit only by faint light filtering through the barred windows. The place had been abandoned in a hurry.

King moved to the center of the room and raised both hands. Blue energy spiraled around his fingers as he summoned a large construct seal. The seal expanded, forming a translucent barrier that covered the entrance, the windows, and every potential point of entry.

The barrier shimmered faintly, then solidified.

"That should hold," King said, lowering his hands.

Eli set down his rifle and leaned against the wall, exhaling slowly.

Vi placed the child on one of the intact chairs and knelt in front of her.

"Hey," Vi said softly. "You’re safe now. Okay? We’re not going to let anything hurt you."

The girl stared at Vi but didn’t respond.

Vi tried again.

"Can you tell me your name?"

The girl’s mouth opened slightly, but no words came out. She closed it again.

"It’s okay," Vi said gently. "You don’t have to talk if you don’t want to."

King approached, crouching down to the girl’s eye level.

"Can you understand us?" he asked.

The girl nodded.

"Good. Do you know what happened to the woman who was with you?"

The girl’s face crumpled, and tears began streaming down her cheeks. She nodded again, more slowly this time.

King softened his voice.

"I’m sorry. We’re going to take care of you now. Alright?"

The girl wiped at her eyes and nodded once more.

Vi looked at King.

"She hasn’t spoken at all. I don’t think she can."

King studied the child more closely. She could make sounds, small whimpers, sniffles, even the occasional hum. But couldn’t make actual words.

"Her speech is compromised," King said quietly. "It’s probably the trauma"

He stood and turned to Eli.

"We’ll rest here for now. Keep the eagle on patrol in case something approaches, and if you need another Mana potion, Let me know."

Eli nodded.

"Understood."

King looked back at the girl, who was still sitting in the chair, staring at the floor.

They would figure it out.

For now, they just had to wait out the rest of the First woe.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Hours had passed since the First Woe began.

King sat against the wall of the bank, watching the child sleep in Vi’s arms. Eli remained by the window, the Spirit Eagle circling outside in slow, methodical patterns.

The chaos outside had quieted somewhat. Distant noises still echoed through the streets, and the occasional roar of a demi-human broke the silence, but the intensity had dropped.

King checked his interface, pulling up the time display.

23 hours, 47 minutes since the countdown hit zero.

The First Woe always lasted exactly 24 hours in real time. He’d confirmed it across dozens of playthroughs, watching the pattern repeat in the same manner. Whatever triggered the end was tied to that exact timestamp.

And now, they had thirteen minutes left.

"We need to move soon," King said, breaking the silence.

Vi looked up at him exhausted, but still alert.

"Move where?"

"Outside. Into the open."

Eli turned from the window, frowning.

"Master King, the demi-humans are still outside"

"Yeah, but they’ll become passive," King replied. "In about ten minutes, the final topography shift happens. The world splits and reshapes. Buildings could collapse and grounds would cavs in. We’re safer out in the open than trapped here, under rubble."

Eli gave it a thought, then nodded.

"Understood."

Vi stood carefully, adjusting the child in her arms without waking her.

"I guess you truly are the Omniscient Player" Vi added, trying to throw in a litlle humor and soften all the tension.

King gave a slight laugh, as his gaze lingered on hers.

RUMBLLLEEEE

There was a slight tremor, almost insignificant. But King knew. Immediately, he rose to his feet and dismissed the barrier construct, the translucent shield dissolving into blue mist. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

"Alright, that’s our cue, we’ve got to move."

Vi stood up carefully, still holding the child who was barely waking now.

Eli sent the eagle for a fresh round of aerial scouting as they exited the bank, stepping into the ruined street.

The air was thick with smoke and ash, the sky overhead painted in shades of orange and red from distant fires.

King summoned another construct, this time forming a large dome around all four of them. The barrier was stronger than the one he’d used in the bank, reinforced with layered energy that shimmered faintly in the dim light.

"Stay close," King said. "we’ll wait it out for as long as this can hold."

Eli positioned himself on one side, with his rifle at the ready. Vi held the child on the other, whispering soft reassurances to keep her calm.

And then it began.

The Beginning of The End.