POV: Riley (6 months later)

I stood at the edge of The Empty Lands, staring into the void-space that would never return. Thirty percent of Earth remained erased, a permanent scar from our war with nothingness. The boundary between existence and the Empty Lands was sharp, absolute. On one side, grass grew and birds sang. On the other, nothing. Not even air.

"Still documenting?" Aaron's voice came from behind me. My husband. The word still felt strange even after three months of marriage.

"Someone has to record this," I said, tapping my tablet. "Future generations need to understand what we lost and what we kept."

He wrapped his arms around...