[ALARIC]

“Please stop! Please! I’m leaving! I swear, you’ll never see me again—”

Her voice cut off with a wet, deafening squelch, followed by a scream that was less human and more pure agony. The sound tore through my skull like a blaring siren, high-pitched and raw.

“Zeph?” I roared, whipping my head around. I frantically searched through the blackness, but all I had was the sound—that piercing, ear-screeching cry. “Zeph! Where are you? Tell me where you are! Please!” I ...