The world did not break all at once. It broke in pieces.
The stone beneath my feet splintered with a sound like the earth itself crying out. A sharp crack snapped up the rock shelf, splitting it open like a jagged mouth. Dust shot upward, blinding us in a choking cloud. For one suspended moment, everything held still, as if time decided to hesitate.
Then it all dropped.
I did not even have time to scream. Just a single gasp before the world tilted and swallowed us.
Hands clamped around my waist, strong and fast. Nathan’s voice cut through the crashing stone.
“Margot.”
That was the last thing I heard before gravity ripped us downward.
My stomach surged into my throat. Air rushed past my ears. The roar of falling debris drowned out every thought. The darkness below was absolute and en
