Faith felt it first, not because she was stronger than the others, and not because she understood what was happening, but because something deep inside her responded to the change in a way she could not ignore, and as her voice faded into the silence, her chest tightened slightly while her eyes moved across the room, taking in the sight before her with growing confusion.
Everyone was down.
Pam, who had stood so proudly before, was now struggling to keep herself from collapsing completely, her body trembling as she fought against something she could not see, her hands pressed against the ground as cracks spread beneath her fingers. The guards and judges who had shouted so confidently earlier were now flattened against the floor, their faces pale, their breaths uneven as if even the simple act of breathing had become difficult.
The air felt heavy.
Too heavy.
As if something vast had descended without warning and claimed everything within its reach.
