Her gaze lingered on Eve for half a second longer than necessary, sharp and deliberate, as though she wanted that image burned into Eve’s memory. Bloodied. Broken. Alive.

The smile that curved her lips then was small, almost private, but it carried a promise that made George’s skin crawl.

“You will all perish here!” she said again, quietly this time.

Then the world ended.

A low, unnatural rumble rolled through the building, deep and violent, like the earth itself had drawn a ...