In the New Suburb District, cloaked "Illusion Blade" Kathryn sat askew on the rooftop, leaning against a chimney that seemed ready to collapse.
She clasped the stump of her severed arm, touching the wound that had been plugged with dead flesh and bone from the activation of her superpower.
As phantom pains throbbed in her head, countless fireworks exploded in the distant night sky, casting the city in a spectacle of shimmering colors and dazzling beauty.
At the far end of her vision, down an alley, a youth in exaggerated theatrical costume and ludicrous makeup returned home wearily. Backlit by the fireworks, he dragged a bag stuffed with props and struggled to reach his doorstep. He cherished the thin purse he took out, caressing it back and forth before mustering the courage, with a mix of anticipation and anxiety, to push open his home's door.
Kathryn narrowed her eyes, counting the beats.
One, two, three.
