Page 45 of Mostly Shattered

The sudden ding of the elevator startles me, and I gasp as the doors slide open. Relief washes over me for a brief moment, but it quickly dissipates as I’m met with the dissonance of terrifying sounds.

The blaring of car horns from the street blends with the screams of people running past the lobby window. As if that weren’t alarming enough, deafening explosions momentarily drown out the chaos, and plumes of dust fill the air, adding to the sense of panic and fear.

“Get down! Get down!” The doorman runs inside, covered in dust, before diving behind the front desk.

Despite the sense of impending danger, I sprint toward the front door, compelled to see what’s happening for myself. Pressing my face and hands against the glass, I feel the thick security door quiver. Suddenly, another deafening boom reverberates through the air, accompanied by a cloud of dust. The piercing sound of more screams stampede past.

The scene is chaotic. Dust swirls in the air as I struggle to make sense of the commotion. A woman frantically runs toward me, clutching a small dog in her arms. Without hesitation, I push open the heavy door, allowing her to seek refuge inside.

As she hurries past me, I catch a glimpse of terror in her eye. The air is filled with piercing screams and the distant sound of sirens, disorienting me further. Instinctively, I cover my nose and mouth with my sleeve, attempting to protect myself from the swirling dust and debris.

Suddenly, an unseen force yanks me outward, pulling me from the relative safety of the building and onto the frenzied sidewalk. The disharmony of screams and shouts grows louder, seeming to emanate from all directions. Confused and struggling to regain my footing, I attempt to understand the unfolding events.

Another deafening boom echoes through the city streets, sending shockwaves over the ground. I stand frozen, watching in horror as a nearby building crumbles into a pile of rubble. My breath catches in my throat as I brace for the suffocating plume of dust rolling toward me, but to my surprise, it doesn’t engulf me.

Panic seizes the crowd as people scatter in all directions, desperate to escape the attack.I find myself swept along with the frantic throng, my heart pounding in my chest as I try to make sense of the unfolding mayhem. Everything is chaos. No one seems to have answers.

All at once, the daylight changes, taking on a mesmerizing orange hue. It casts a warm glow as it encases the dusty air. Suddenly, a strange rumble fills the air, and the sound of rubber tires pop in rapid succession. The screams behind me grow fainter, swallowed by the unsettling noise. The orange glow intensifies, bathing the scene in an otherworldly hellscape that compels me to stop running and turn to face the source of the phenomenon.

A river of scorching lava snakes its way through the streets, swallowing everything in its path. The acrid stench of burn fills the air as billows of black smoke blackout the heavens, obscuring the once-bright sun. All we have now is the orange glow of death coming for us.

As I frantically attempt to flee, a sudden impact sends me crashing to the ground. I gasp for breath as a heavy foot forcefully presses into my stomach, and then a sharp blow to my ribs follows as panicked figures trample past in a frenzied attempt to escape.

Before I can make it to my feet, the lava reaches me. I don’t expect to survive. I push up from theground just as it rolls against my legs. I automatically scream in fright, waiting for the feel of my body melting just as it consumes those around me. The prophecy book slips out of my waistband, and I watch it sizzle into oblivion.

The pain doesn’t come. I feel the pressure of the lava against my legs, but it doesn’t burn. I turn to look around. An eerie silence replaces the panic, and I realize I’m the only one left standing. An alarm blares in the distance, but it’s way too late to warn anybody.

The deafening roar of falling buildings reverberates through the city. The air is heavy with a suffocating mix of dust and ash, obscuring everything in a murky shroud. I desperately spin in circles, seeking an escape from the lava, but there is no refuge to be found in this desolate landscape.

A loud rumble sounds behind me, and I turn in time to see my home crashing to the ground. Chunks of concrete rain down, splashing into the infernal landscape the street has become.

Tears stream down my face as I come to a chilling realization. My parents are in that building. They may be immortal, but that does not mean they can’t be killed. There is no way they would have survived the fall.

I took too long to heed the prophecy, allowingdoubt to cloud my judgment and ignoring fate. Now, I am faced with the grave consequences of my inaction.

How am I still alive?

I don’t understand how I survive when everyone else is dead. Is this a punishment? Is the universe holding me responsible for my inaction? The lava swirls around me, consuming everything else in its path, but I remain untouched, a spectator to the end of the world.

I can’t help but wonder, why me? Why am I the one who has to fix this?

Can it even be fixed?

I want out of the lava. I see it rushing around a large chunk of the building, and I hurry to climb onto the debris. Sharp edges cut my hands, but I don’t care.

The air grows thick with ash, choking the sky. Every breath feels like it should be my last. I taste the ash against my tongue, but I somehow keep breathing. The actual terror isn’t the destruction but the emptiness that comes after. The horrible silence. The screams, the panic... all of it is gone.

The buildings continue to collapse around me like sandcastles under a rising tide of molten lava. I watch as glass windows explode, showering the streets with glittering shards, while the once-proudcity skyline crumbles into ash. I am alone in a world on fire, the last witness to everything I’ve ever known turning to dust.

Why won’t it kill me, too?

Why didn’t I go with Costin when he asked me to?

The heat is unbearable, but what’s worse is the hard knot in my chest where my heart should be. I watch as smoke rises from the destruction. I can’t bury the knowledge that this is my fault. I let this happen. I failed. I didn’t listen to the warnings, and now there’s no one left to save.

I remain trapped on the rubble, hearing more buildings fall in the distance. The sounds seem to stretch on forever.

This can’t be it.

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