Page 45 - DivineSparkRising II-TheMirrorofSilenceFinal
P. 45
Nicholas Boothman
Chapter 5: Ghost
Frequency
The Alcântara district went mute at 2:17 a.m.
Not quiet—absent.
Streetlights burned without hum. The mouth of
the 25 de Abril bridge hung over the dark water
like a blade. A bar full of dockworkers froze mid-
argument, glasses held in air. A freighter’s horn
opened without sound, a red wound of light on the
river.
Henry and Carolina ran the last block from the
tram stop, rain needles on their faces. Carolina’s
portable analyzer ticked wild numbers, LEDs
climbing like a fever chart.
“Two blocks more,” she said, breathless. “Field
center should be near the old warehouse.”
They rounded a corner and stepped into a world
that had forgotten it was alive. A paper poster
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