The world outside the city felt too open.
Too quiet.
Too real.
As Yin Lie carried Qin Mian away from the tunnel ruins, the sky slowly shifted from orange to deep purple. Stars began to appear — not simulated, not projected — real stars, scattered across the endless sky like glowing dust.
Qin Mian stared at them with wide eyes, her head resting on Yin Lie's shoulder.
"…those lights…"
Her voice was soft and unsure.
"…are they…alive?"
Yin Lie looked up at the sky too.
"No. They're stars."
She blinked, thinking hard.
"…they look like fireflies… but very far away…"
"Something like that."
Her fingers curled weakly into his shirt.
"But why are there so many…?"
"Because the sky is big," he said gently.
"And now you can see it."
Qin Mian didn't respond at first.
She was too busy looking at everything — like a newborn seeing the world for the first time.
Which, in a way… she was.
Chen Gu walked ahead with his handheld scanner, tapping it every few steps.
Thorne trudged behind, complaining loudly every minute.
Kai stayed at the back, her coat fluttering in the wind, her eyes scanning for threats.
But none of them could take their eyes off Qin Mian for long.
Something about the way she looked at the world — fear, wonder, confusion, awe — made the world feel fragile and new.
A soft gust of wind blew across the empty land.
Qin Mian shivered slightly.
Yin Lie paused.
"You cold?"
She hesitated, touching the side of her face with her fingers.
"…is this…pain?"
Yin Lie's expression softened.
"No. It's the wind. It feels cold."
She blinked.
"So… this is not hurting me…?"
"No."
She closed her eyes, letting the breeze brush across her skin again.
Her shoulders relaxed slightly.
"…outside is strange," she murmured.
"It touches me."
Yin Lie almost laughed, but it came out as a breath.
"That's normal."
Qin Mian opened her eyes again.
"…Lie?"
"Yeah?"
She leaned her forehead on his collarbone.
"Thank you… for carrying me."
"You're light," Yin Lie replied.
"You're lying," she whispered.
He smiled.
"Yeah. A little."
She gave a tiny laugh — her first real laugh — and it was the softest sound he had ever heard.
Chen Gu tapped his scanner.
"There's an old service building nearby. It might shield us from drones."
Thorne nearly collapsed in relief.
"YES. A ROOF. FINALLY."
Kai rolled her eyes.
"Stop shouting. The sound carries."
They approached the old service building — a small concrete room half buried in collapsed metal. Its door hung crooked, rusted but still attached.
Yin Lie lowered Qin Mian gently inside.
The interior was dark, cold, and filled with dust.
Qin Mian's eyes widened as she looked around.
"…this is a room…?"
"Sort of," Chen Gu said. "It's shelter."
Qin Mian touched the cracked floor.
"…is it safe…?"
Yin Lie knelt down beside her.
"As long as I'm here."
She looked up at him with a small, tired smile.
"…then it's safe."
She leaned against him again, eyelids heavy.
"Lie… I feel…slow."
"You're exhausted. You used your power."
She frowned a little.
"I didn't want to. It came by itself…"
"I know," he said softly.
"I know."
Her eyes closed.
"I don't want to dream."
"You won't dream alone."
"…stay…?" she whispered, voice trembling.
Yin Lie shifted so she could rest on his lap.
"I'm not going anywhere."
She relaxed against him, limbs going soft, breath easing.
And slowly…
she fell asleep —
her first sleep outside, free.
Chen Gu sat down against the wall, sighing.
"This girl… she's rewriting the rules just by breathing."
Thorne lay face-down on the floor dramatically.
"I THINK MY HEART AGED TWENTY YEARS TODAY."
Kai leaned near the doorway.
"Quiet," she snapped.
"Drones could still be nearby."
But she kept glancing back at Qin Mian sleeping against Yin Lie.
Her eyes softened — almost invisible — but Yin Lie saw it.
"She's not a monster," he said.
Kai didn't turn.
"Dangerous things aren't always monsters."
Yin Lie said nothing.
Qin Mian's fingers curled in his sleeve even while asleep — terrified to lose him even in dreams.
He touched her hair gently.
And he whispered the truth to himself:
"I'll protect her. Even if the world burns for it."
Outside, the wind howled softly through the ruins.
And the first night of their freedom — fragile and trembling — passed slowly into darkness.
Chapter 72 Completed