The silence of our victory lasted exactly six seconds.
It was a beautiful six seconds. The scent of the grey grass was sweet and earthy, a primordial perfume that smelled like the very first morning of time. Silas’s hand was warm in mine, and for a heartbeat, I allowed myself to believe that the weight of the multiverse had finally been lifted from my shoulders.
Then, the grass began to scream.
It wasn't a vocal sound; it was the sound of molecular vibration. I looked down and watched as the soft, swaying blades of grey turned translucent, then brittle, then reflective. Within seconds, the field had become a jagged sea of obsidian glass. The wind, which had been a gentle caress, now sounded like a whetstone grinding against a blade.
"The Cleaners," Jax hissed, his blue fur standing on
