The sunlight outside the hatch was different.
It wasn't the sharp, artificial light of the city.
It wasn't filtered through shields or holograms.
It was raw.
Natural.
Real.
Soft wind brushed across Yin Lie's face as he climbed fully out of the tunnel, carrying Qin Mian gently in his arms.
Behind him, Chen Gu, Thorne, and Kai climbed out one by one, coughing dust from their lungs.
The city walls rose behind them like a giant rusted beast—
tall, cracked, old.
Once a symbol of safety.
Now a prison they were finally escaping.
Chen Gu exhaled in disbelief.
"We… we made it. We're actually outside the city."
Thorne collapsed onto the dirt, laughing and crying at the same time.
"I want to kiss the ground. I won't, because it's probably toxic, but I WANT to."
Kai stayed standing.
Her eyes scanned the horizon—
the empty lands.
A wasteland of cracked roads, broken buildings, and forgotten forests swimming under sunlight.
Winds carried dust and long-lost voices.
Animals howled faintly in the distance.
Kai muttered:
"…It's been years since I've stepped outside."
Yin Lie didn't answer.
He was kneeling, gently checking Qin Mian's pulse.
Her breathing was shallow but steady.
Her fingers twitched in his shirt.
She whispered softly:
"…Lie… is this… outside?"
He smiled, brushing her hair gently.
"Yes. We made it."
She opened her eyes a little.
The light made her blink quickly, like a startled animal.
Her voice trembled.
"…it's… so big."
"I know."
"…and loud."
"That's the wind."
"…and warm."
"That's the sun."
She weakly lifted one hand toward the sky.
"…can I… touch it?"
Yin Lie guided her hand upward.
"You already are."
She smiled—
soft and exhausted—
but the smile was real.
Kai walked up beside Yin Lie.
Her voice was low.
"You have ten minutes."
Yin Lie looked up sharply.
"Before what?"
"Drone reinforcements. And soldiers."
Kai pointed toward the city wall's maintenance tower.
Red lights had started to blink.
"They already know you escaped. The entire outer ring will be locked down."
Thorne yelped.
"WE JUST GOT HERE—CAN'T WE REST FOR ONE SECOND?!"
Kai didn't look at him.
She kept her eyes on Yin Lie.
"I should report your location. I should call the directorate. I should stop you."
She paused.
"And yet… I'm letting you go."
Chen Gu frowned.
"…Why?"
Kai didn't answer immediately.
The wind tugged at her coat.
Dust swirled around her boots.
After a long moment, she said quietly:
"Because when she saved him… her power didn't try to kill me. Or destroy the world. She only protected one person."
She looked down at Qin Mian, sleeping in Yin Lie's arms.
"Maybe she isn't what the Directorate says.
Or maybe you're the variable we never calculated."
Yin Lie didn't reply.
Kai turned away, voice sharp again.
"Head west. Stay off the roads. There's an old railway station in the ruins. It'll give you cover for the night."
She started to walk back toward the hatch.
Chen Gu shouted:
"Kai! If you go back… they'll punish you for helping us."
Kai smirked slightly.
"They can try."
Then she stopped one last time and looked at Yin Lie.
"Lie…"
Her eyes softened for a brief moment—
almost human.
"Don't fail her."
Yin Lie answered quietly:
"I won't."
Kai nodded once, sharply—
the gesture of a soldier who had made an impossible choice—
and disappeared back into the tunnel darkness.
Thorne wiped dust from his eyes.
"So… what now?"
Chen Gu pulled an old handheld scanner from his pack.
"We follow Kai's direction. The railway station is about two miles west."
Thorne stared at the huge, empty land stretching endlessly.
"Two miles?! Through that?! With monsters out there?! What if something eats us?!"
Chen Gu shrugged.
"Then run faster."
Thorne groaned.
Yin Lie stood, lifting Qin Mian gently.
He took a step onto the cracked earth beyond the wall.
For the first time in his life, he wasn't sneaking, fighting, or hiding inside the city's maze.
He was choosing his direction.
The sunlight glowed on Qin Mian's sleeping face.
She breathed softly against his chest.
He whispered:
"We're leaving the city now."
She murmured in her sleep:
"…with you…"
Yin Lie held her tighter and walked forward.
Chen Gu and Thorne followed behind.
The gate sealed shut behind them.
And for the first time—
the world opened.
Broken.
Dangerous.
Unknown.
But free.
Chapter 71 Completed