Two concentric halos of industrialized rings rotated around the equator, in shimmering arcs of refracted gold.
Monolithic needles of obsidian, sky towers, and skyscrapers rose from each circle, powered by solar collectors that gathered power from the binary stars.
Below the cloud layer, the metropolis sprawled in a labyrinth of steel and light.
High-velocity air lanes created a chaotic weave of transports and hover-bikes, their engine wash pulsing a perpetual vibration through the skies.
On the ground levels, polished duracrete snaked between glass obelisks, while holographic billboards cycled through ads in a dozen dialects, staining the atmosphere in electric violet and synthetic cyan.
The city was a frantic machine of industry and commerce that never rested, and the transition into the sky port hit Idan hard.
The moment the airlock hissed open, a wall of sensory noise flooded his psyche.
The stench of recycled air and unwashed crowds, the electricity of sparking maglev rails, and the suffocating density of moving bodies overwhelmed him.
Having spent six years in the silence of the Lattaya’s alpine cliffs, this bustling hive felt like a trap, offering no clear sight lines, nor clean escape routes.
His pulse spiked as the two couples walked down the gangway and crossed over to a waiting sleek flyer.
‘I forgot howfokkin’ crowded cities can be,’ Idan muttered to Sheba, his eyes scanning the terminal as they made their way to Ki’Remi’s personal skiff.
He and Sheba settled into the passenger seats behind the Rider and Issa, his jaw clenching as he strapped in.
He loathed the proximity of buildings; he hated the way the neon lights probed and pierced his retinas.
His body stiffened with the rigid tension of aNihil-Stalkeroverriding the calm of the shepherd.
His sigils burned as his muscles braced, his mind already mapping the threats in the crowd.
Sheba reached out, her hand stroking his lower arm. ‘Give it time, honey, you’ll get used to it.’
The contact served as a circuit breaker for his spiraling focus, pulling him back from the urge to phase through the floor and vanish back into the heavens.
Idan glanced down into his woman’s dark, steady gaze, reminding him of the quiet they shared in his hut on the mountain, anchoring him to what mattered.
He brought her hand to his mouth and pressed a kiss to her skin, in gratitude.
‘We find Molan, and execute a plan to get rid of Sulfiqar,’ Idan promised. ‘Then I intend on fleeing this metropolitan cage for dirt and open skies as soon as possible.’
En route to Sable HQ, Ki’Remi tapped the comms link to Mirage, announcing their arrival.
‘By a stroke of cosmic timing, Kainan is right now with the Rider fam on the rooftop for a shared meal,’ Mirage informed him.
‘Hell yeah. Is Molan in town?’
‘Indeed, he is, and he’s brought Rina with him.’
‘Sawa. We’ll bring Idan and Sheba to you then, I’m sure the Munene sisters and Rina can’t wait to see each other.’
Sheba, seated in the backseat beside Idan, tilted her head as she beamed. ‘You said it.’
Minutes later, they touched down on the famous skyscraper’s uppermost landing pad.
Alighting, the foursome headed towards the opposite end of the gleaming building, via a series of corridors and sliding archways.
The last aperture whispered open, revealing a sprawling terrace of greenery, natural beauty, and luxury amenities.
To one side, a garden thrived beneath the shimmer of climate-stabilizers, complete with blooming flowers and deep emerald foliage.
