March 17th, 20xx, 05:02 AM
— Departing Heat —
The system screen floated in my vision.
A faint static hummed as it sharpened the visual layout of the nearby area.
[Target Location: Zone 3B-Δ — 4.4 kilometres South-West]
[Estimated Arrival on Foot: 13 minutes (Current Speed)]
[Projection Route Displayed – Please Follow the Trail]
A glowing arrow appeared at my feet.
Faint at first—then brighter, solid. It pulsed once, and the floor lit up beneath it with a soft blip, casting dots in perfect formation across the floorboards, out through the cracked hallway door, and into the broken world beyond.
I turned slowly, gaze dragging back to the bed.
Qinglan hadn't moved.
Her legs curled beneath the quilt. One hand pressed lightly to the edge of the pillow, her fingers twitching once, like they missed me already.
I moved to her side, boots soft against the worn floor.
