The moment it happened, Zara barely had time to process it. One second, she was cradling Leo against her chest, the thick, unnatural mist curling around them like reaching fingers. The next, the world lurched—no, folded—around her, her vision warping into something unrecognizable.
It was like being yanked through a rip in space, the very air bending and compressing around her body. Disoriented, she stumbled, nearly losing her footing as the weight of the sudden shift made her head spin.
Then—stillness.
Her breath came in ragged gasps, heart hammering in her ribs as she struggled to orient herself. The scent of blood and burning flesh was gone, replaced by the familiar, stale scent of dust, metal, and old paper.
This was wrong.
She tightened her grip on Leo, hands trembling as she slowly opened her eyes, taking in her surroundings.
Stacks of supplies surrounded them.
Zara swallowed hard. It wasn't possible. It shouldn't be possible.
