Chapter 44 Secrets In The Ashes

• The darkness crowded against me, dense and stifling. I forced myself to keep moving, feeling the pull of the vacuum and Sebastian’s presence right behind me. My mind swirled with questions, but I had to focus on the way ahead. There was no space for hesitancy, not with whatever nightmare lurked just beyond that closed door.
• After what felt like a lifetime, the darkness began to thin. My feet reached solid ground, and the world around us altered. We stumbled out into a new space—dilapidated buildings, cracked cobblestones, and the faint scent of smoke hanging in the air. Ash dropped like snowflakes, resting over the devastated city.
• “Where are we?” Sebastian’s voice rasped near me, his breath still uneven.