—Natasha's POV—
The world didn't just fade; it was devoured.
One moment, they were two opposing streaks of destiny—one of polished silver, one of matte black—blurring against the deep indigo of the twilight sky. The next, the mountain itself opened its jaws and swallowed them whole.
The entrance to the Wolf’s Mouth was an abrupt and absolute termination of light. It was not a gentle dimming, but a guillotine blade of darkness. The tunnel was a cold, damp, stone throat, a half-mile of perfect blackness that absorbed all light and hope.
The roar of their engines, once a declaration of power that echoed across the valleys, was now trapped and magnified. It became a deafening, disorienting thunder that ricocheted off the slick, curved walls, a cacophony of sound that assaulted the ears fr
