The earth seemed to settle as the hours passed, but the air remained strange—charged, almost electric. Jas and Roman worked to clear debris around the cabin while Ivy Mae searched for Mittens, calling out desperately.
The nausea came without warning. Jas doubled over, clutching their stomach, as a wave of dizziness hit. They could smell something acrid, almost like burnt sugar, and their vision blurred, splitting into double images.
“Ivy Mae!” Roman’s voice sounded distant.
Jas blinked hard, trying to focus. In their mind’s eye, they saw shapes—metal buildings slumping like melted wax, then reforming in an instant. Was it a memory? A vision? A warning?
When they opened their eyes, Ivy Mae was standing over them, worry etched on her face. “Are you okay? You just...collapsed.”
But Jas couldn’t answer. The images were still too vivid, the taste of fear still sharp on their tongue.