A booming shockwave rippled through the arena as the central structure collapsed inward. Safety glass that had separated the spectators from the beasts cracked with a spiderweb hiss before bursting into a rain of jagged fragments.
Workers shouted for everyone to leave the room, then sirens blared, and to add to the panic, the wild animals were released from their cages and went on a rampage. When they smelled the human scent, their instinctive response was to go into hunting mode.
Panic erupted as people screamed, climbed over chairs, and trampled each other in their attempts to escape. The air was filled with the roars of monstrous beasts and the primal terror of the trapped crowd.
Amid the chaos, Clift and Samuel moved with cold focus. They draped a jacket over Igor's limp body, pulled his hood down, and dragged him toward the exit, blending into the frenzied crowd.
