The moment Stella opened her eyes—
The world changed.
BOOM!
A deafening explosion of light erupted from her body, not just with sound alone, but with something that felt ancient and absolute.
A brilliant golden pillar burst forth from Stella's small, trembling frame.
It did not rise softly.
It violently tore its way into the sky.
The ground beneath her feet shattered instantly. The road cracked like thin, fragile glass, with spiderweb fractures racing outward in chaotic patterns. Concrete slabs lifted upward and overturned. Parked cars were shoved aside as if they were struck by an invisible wave.
Dust and debris flew outward in a massive ring.
Julia's corpse, which was lying only a few meters away, was caught in the shockwave. Her limp form lifted from the ground and slammed brutally into the side of a car with a sickening metallic crunch.
It seemed, even in death… she wasn't allowed to rest.
