The ground shook at midnight.
Not an earthquake. Not an explosion. Something else. Something that came from deep beneath the earth, from the Frequency itself. A vibration that traveled through the bedrock, through the foundations of every building, through the bones of every person in the community.
Ethan felt it before he heard it. A vibration in his bones. A hum in his skull. He was awake in an instant, his body responding to the danger before his mind had fully processed it.
Nora was already sitting up beside him. Her eyes were wide. Alert. "What was that?"
"I don't know. But it's not natural. It's not like anything we've felt before."
They ran to the main square. People were already gathering. Confused. Frightened. Children crying. Adults shouting. The chaos of a community suddenl
