Salem hit the ground hard, rolling to absorb the impact, his breath leaving him in a painful gasp. The world around him reassembled piece by piece, like someone was building reality on a laggy internet connection. The smell of ozone and burned paper hung in the air. For a few heartbeats, all he could hear was the high-pitched ringing in his ears and the chaotic stutter of his own heart.
When his vision finally steadied, he found himself sprawled across what looked like a sprawling train station — except no train had ever stopped here. The platforms stretched into impossible horizons, splitting and folding over each other like origami. The ceiling was a dizzying mess of clocks, all ticking out of sync, their hands spinning wildly. Every now and then, one would shatter, raining down fragmen
