The Pulse that never fades

The air on the tower's peak was thinner now, as if the very atmosphere had been drained by the city's lingering presence. Ethan kept his arm wrapped around Victoria, feeling the tremors still racking her body. Her skin, once warm and familiar, now felt cool to the touch, as if some part of her had yet to return from the abyss the city had dragged her into.

Anna hovered nearby, her eyes darting between the horizon and the faintly glowing marks that still shimmered beneath the tower's cracked surface. She didn't trust the stillness—it felt too deliberate, like the city was biding its time, waiting for them to let their guard down.

"We need to get out of here," Anna muttered, her voice low and tense. She scanned the darkened skyline, searching for signs that the city's tendrils hadn't extended beyond the town's limits. "Before it figures out a new way to pull us back in."

Ethan nodded, but his grip on Victoria didn't loosen. She was murmuring something now, words too soft to catch, her eyes flickering as if trapped in some in-between state. The city might have loosened its hold, but it hadn't let go completely.

"Victoria," Ethan whispered, brushing a stray lock of hair from her face. "You're safe. We've got you."

Her eyes fluttered open, the glow dimmed but not gone. She focused on him, her voice hoarse, as though speaking was a struggle against something still coiled deep inside.

"It's… not over," she rasped. "It's never over."

Ethan felt the weight of those words settle in his chest like a stone. He helped her to her feet, steadying her as they made their way down the spiraling staircase. The marks along the tower's walls pulsed faintly as they passed, like dying embers refusing to be extinguished.

The descent felt longer than the climb. Every creak of the ancient structure, every gust of wind that howled through the cracks in the stone, sounded like the city whispering from the shadows, reminding them that it was still watching.

When they finally reached the ground, Ethan and Anna exchanged a glance—one filled with unspoken questions and shared dread. The town below was eerily silent, the streets devoid of life, but the absence of the city's overwhelming presence didn't bring relief. It felt like the calm after an earthquake, where the world holds its breath, waiting for the aftershock.

"We can't stay here," Anna said, breaking the heavy silence. Her gaze flicked to Victoria, who leaned heavily against Ethan. "She needs help. Real help."

Ethan agreed. Whatever the city had done to Victoria, it wasn't something they could fix on their own. They needed to get her as far from this cursed town as possible, to somewhere the city's influence hadn't yet reached—if such a place even existed.

The journey out of town was slow and tense. Victoria's strength faded quickly, and by the time they reached the outskirts, she was barely conscious, her skin growing colder by the minute. The marks along the roads and buildings were fading too, but their ghostly outlines remained, like scars on the landscape.

They found an old truck at the edge of town, keys still in the ignition as if the owner had abandoned it in a hurry. Ethan didn't question their luck. He just helped Anna get Victoria into the back seat, then slid behind the wheel, his hands tightening around it as the engine roared to life.

They drove in silence, the road stretching endlessly before them, the horizon an unbroken line of darkness. Ethan's mind raced with thoughts he couldn't voice—what if they hadn't really escaped? What if the city had followed them, embedding itself in their minds, their memories?

Every glance in the rearview mirror felt like a challenge, as if expecting to see the twisted streets of the city rising behind them. But the road remained empty, the world outside their windows eerily normal. Too normal.

Hours passed before they dared to stop. They pulled into a small roadside motel, its flickering neon sign casting weak light onto the cracked pavement. The place looked abandoned, but the door creaked open under Anna's push, revealing a dusty but intact interior.

They settled Victoria onto one of the beds, covering her with every blanket they could find. She stirred occasionally, whispering words that didn't make sense, her brow furrowed as if still trapped in a nightmare she couldn't wake from.

Anna sank into a chair by the window, her eyes distant. "We can't keep running forever, Ethan," she murmured, her voice barely audible over the hum of the old heater. "You know that, right?"

Ethan didn't respond immediately. He sat on the edge of the bed, watching Victoria's shallow breaths, feeling the weight of the city's presence still lingering in the room like a shadow they couldn't shake.

"I know," he finally whispered. "But I don't know how to fight something that's everywhere."

Anna turned to face him, her eyes hard. "We find a way. Before it finds us again."

That night, Ethan dreamed of the city.

It wasn't the twisted maze of streets and impossible architecture he remembered. This time, it was familiar—the town they had just left, but warped, stretched, the marks glowing brighter than ever. He stood at the center of it all, the symbols pulsing beneath his feet like the beat of a heart.

And in the distance, he saw her.

Victoria stood at the edge of the horizon, her eyes glowing with that same light, her expression blank. But as he stepped closer, he realized it wasn't just her.

It was him too.

A shadow of himself stood beside her, its eyes glowing, its smile cold and knowing.

"You can't outrun what you are," the shadow whispered, its voice a perfect echo of his own. "You're part of the city now. We all are."

Ethan woke with a start, sweat soaking his shirt despite the cold. The room was dark, the only sound Victoria's ragged breathing and Anna's soft, steady presence by the window.

But the pulse was louder now, vibrating beneath his skin, a constant reminder that the city wasn't gone.

It was just waiting.