The sound of victory rippled through the city, dancing with vibrant colors that shimmered against Lithia's dark sky.
For the first time in months—since the dawn of their destruction—there was something worth celebrating. None of them had imagined they would survive battling both an Apex Destroyer and a Catastrophic Behemoth in a single day.
And yet, against all odds, they had.
Even more astonishing was the death toll—less than a hundred. Not a single civilian had perished.
Despite the lingering echoes of devastation, the city pulsed with pure joy.
Northern had been assigned a room once everything had settled. As someone who had fought and defeated a Behemoth alongside a Paragon, respect naturally followed.
People—Drifters—looked at him with eyes of envy. Their gazes glittered with awe, the same way they looked at the Paragon. Northern felt submerged beneath their admiration, an undercurrent he couldn't quite ignore.