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Brock shot them the middle finger and walked faster, trying to lose them in the heavy sands.

The atmosphere was light, but Serene’s tone held a hint of mischief when she asked, “So, what would Takeshi’s role be?”

Her eyes couldn’t help but flutter to him.

Takeshi was at the front of the pack, marching like a man on a mission, ignoring their entire conversation, but every now and then, she noticed his fists clenching.

“Well,” Adan hesitated, “Takeshi could be the…uh…reverend?” he said it like a question.

If the atmosphere wasn’t so tense, she’d burst out laughing.

Takeshi glanced over his shoulder. “The only thing I’ll be is your mortician if you don’t stop talking.”

Adan’s face turned green and he quickly nodded.

Takeshi faced forward, his black cloak flapping in the wind like a dark cloud ready to cover the world.

They continued to trek onward.

Khalani didn’t know everyone’s reasons—what drove each of them past their limitations and fears.

But whatever their motivation, whether it was to save themselves, a dying city, or to venture beyond their wildest imaginings, their footprints remained in the sand.

If no one else, the Earth witnessed the evidence of their resolve.

As they ventured closer to Hermes, the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. She felt a deep, primal urge to turn around, her body sensing they were on the verge of a terrible mistake.

“There.” Brock pointed toward the horizon.

They finally reached the crest of a ridge, and in the distance lay the largest city they’d encountered so far.

Her mouth was agape as they ventured closer and got a better look at the destruction left behind from the Great Collapse.

Grandiose, golden buildings lay toppled, like a monstrous giant had blown them over. Windows were shattered, and cars lay piled on top of one another.

Khalani wrinkled her nose at the odd, rusty smell in the air as they walked past a broken green sign on the road entitled,Las Vegas Boulevard.

She couldn’t comprehend why such a massive city had been built in the heart of the desert.

Everything about it felt strange. The black pyramid-shaped building looming in the distance. The brown and red chips scattered like confetti on the cracked asphalt. The golden pillars toppled over the sidewalks.

It was an ancient graveyard of opulence.

She carefully stepped over a torn streetlight and her gaze caught on a piece of paper trapped under the rusted metal. She frowned, crouching to pick it up. The crumpled paper was ripped in half, but she could still make out some of the writing:

Daily Vegas Times

BREAKING NEWS

Nuclear War Imminent

The White House has yet to release an official response, but this past weekend, many members of Congress were seen leaving Washington, D.C., to be with their families. Most declined to comment, but Senator Gale Grovenheart stated, “We let in the Trojan Horse, and the enemies have opened the gates,” before hastily boarding his private jet to Hawaii. He declined to elaborate, but anonymous sources within the government agree that it is not a matter of if, but when, Russia and China will attack.

These types of talks have occurred before, but none quite as serious since the terrorist attacks in Moscow, Beijing, and New York City that claimed the lives of millions. Military forces remain on high alert, and what was once the theory of “Mutually Assured Destruction” may soon become a reality. There have been talks of bunkers being erected, but even our high-level sources have declined to comment on their exis—

The rest of the page was torn. Khalani’s lips pressed together as she let the archaic paper tumble to the ground, the wind sweeping it away like a lost memory.

She shivered as they continued forward. Takeshi palmed a sharp blade, his body tense.