Victor woke up standing.
He didn't remember falling asleep, nor did he remember standing up. He simply blinked, and the transition from "unconscious" to "vertical" was instantaneous, like a lantern slide changing too fast. One second, he was floating in a void of peaceful darkness; the next, he was upright, his boots glued to the floor, his spine rigid.
The room was tilting.
No, that wasn't right. The room was stable. It was the gravity that was drunk. The fundamental force that held the universe together had seemingly decided to take a five-degree list to the left.
The impact outside the manor didn't sound like an explosion. It felt like a giant, invisible hand grabbing the entire house and shaking it. Victor stumbled sideways, his shoulder slamming into the bookshelf. The books didn'
