The sky split apart with a sound like the world's spine snapping.
Luca froze mid-breath, his gaze locked on the gaping hole overhead. A jagged black void yawned open, its edges writhing as if reality itself were in pain. Cold sweat prickled his neck. His lips moved before he could stop them, the words raw, almost trembling.
"Can I… finally see you in this life… my worst nightmare?"
The air thickened—suffocating, metallic with the taste of blood.
"Luca!" Celestia's voice cracked, sharp with urgency. She yanked the phoenix's reins, wings beating in frantic bursts as the beast screamed and shot away from the epicenter.
Below, the world erupted into horror. People and beasts alike convulsed mid-stride—then burst into grotesque scarlet bubbles, their bodies collapsing into nothingness with wet, splattering pops.
Three figures tore upward into the sky, moving so fast the air shivered in their wake.
Luca's heart lurched. He knew them.
