Chapter 2

Somewhere in the Badlands, the sun scorched the land—blistering and bone-dry.

“Careful, V!”

Roqi stood at the base of a rusty old antenna tower, shielding his eyes from the glare as he watched V climb. The ladder and catwalk groaned under her weight as she ascended, dozens of meters into the air. The sunlight cut through the steel beams, nearly blinding him. He had to step into the shade just to make out her movements.