[ He reaches his hand up, touching the corner of that smile with the tip of his thumb. ]

No, it wasn't. You're thinking like a strategist, Alina. Like we're back in the war room, planning an impossible war.

[ Making plans that never got fully utilised, thanks to Vasily. Nikolai's smile falters a little, but then he sighs. ]

There's one more thing. The Void that everyone talks about. It's not what we thought. It's part of the planet itself. It's the planet's own atmosphere.