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Khalani’s thoughts were pulled back to the present as the strange figures pushed them forward. Clad in tan garments and black cloaks, they guided Khalani and the others up the creaky wooden stairs, their swords and spears glinting menacingly under the dim light.

At the top of the stairs, Khalani entered a room that almost seemed trapped in time.

The light was muted, casting a shadowy veil over a cracked, brown leather sofa in the middle of the space. The wooden floor, marked by countless scuffs and dents, groaned beneath her feet.

She glanced at the white walls, where an assortment of dusty pictures hung in glass frames. A beautiful family smiled back at her, surrounded by plants and trees.

In one of the pictures, two kids stood in front of a brightly lit tree, with wrapped boxes scattered on the floor.

Her gaze narrowed on the couch in the image, strikingly similar to the one planted in front of her.

One of the men tugged on her elbow, pulling her attention away. In the corner of the room was a strange apparatus—an old box with a grey screen and two slender legs attached.

She frowned, trying to get a closer look.

“This way.” The red-haired woman gestured toward a white door on her left.

Khalani’s thoughts raced a thousand miles an hour as they quickly followed their captors. But when they were led out the door, her steps faltered.

It wasn’t the pale moon hovering majestically above them that took her breath away. It was the rows of one-story houses, each painted a different, cheerful color, lining a curved road.

Each house was enclosed by a white picket fence that highlighted well-manicured front yards. The green grass shimmered in the moonlight, meticulously trimmed to an evenheight. Khalani stumbled, having not seen grass since her first ascent to the domed city of Genesis.

It was a world untouched by the Great Collapse.

The enchanting houses even had yellow mailboxes positioned in front of their fences.

But then, a much larger object caught her eye.

A towering metal wall, twenty feet high, circled the town. A walkway ran along the top of the wall, where figures in black cloaks patrolled with spears. Khalani felt their vigilant gazes upon her, as if they were peering directly into her eyes.

“Let’s go,” the woman commanded, tearing her gaze from the wall.

They walked along a black cement road that ran through the heart of the picturesque town.

A small green sign caught her eye, clinging to a metal pole that jutted from the cracked pavement.

Merry Avenue.

Tall, elegant lamps cast a warm glow on the street, each adorned with intricate swirling patterns on their bronze surfaces.

No one else was on the road.

She glanced at one of the pink houses that had a wraparound porch and a swinging bench. There were no lights or signs of life in the house or in any of the homes they’d passed

But before she turned away, something flickered in the window, the drapes slightly shifting.

“Did you see that?” Khalani whispered to Serene.

“See what?” Serene frowned.

Khalani looked back at the house, but everything was still. As if only ghosts resided behind the window panes.

She scowled, pulling the lapel of her shirt closer as a sharp gust of wind swept through. Her gaze drifted back up to theintimidating metal wall that seemed incredibly out of place compared to the colorful homes they passed.

Many of the shadowy figures lining the wall watched the outer desert. They were vigilant, alert, their weapons glinting menacingly as they scanned over the expansive area.

She shivered, needing to know if the wall served as a barrier to keep threats out…or was it built to contain everyone within?