The ground beneath my feet felt unstable, as if the entire world were collapsing into an invisible abyss.
I ran.
My legs barely responded, my energy was drained, but none of that mattered.
The guardians had vanished into the darkness, fleeing like the rats they were. I didn’t care. Not now.
There was only one image in front of me.
Connor.
Ava was already there.
She was on her knees, motionless, clutching the baby’s tiny body against her chest. Her arms wrapped around her with such force that her knuckles had turned white, as if she feared that loosening her grip even slightly would make the child vanish along with the rest of the world.
But her eyes…
They were empty.
There were no tears, no screams, no pleas. Just a void of raw, silent pain.
I didn’t need to ask.
I didn’t need
