Author’s POVThe sanctum felt empty, almost as if it echoed when you spoke. Eilish had gone back home. They had shared a little hug before that, with both of them promising to keep in touch.Zayan had left without a word, visibly enraged by a number of things he refused to share. Kaladin, on the other hand, had gone to pursue any leads he could find. The boy wanted so desperately to clear the lingering doubts about his parents’ innocence.Deep down, he knew Aeris was right. A lot of things his parents had been doing and how sneaky they were about their job description never made sense to him.But as any good child would, he hoped it was all just a bunch of coincidences. He had said his goodbyes with the group before leaving.Wilder had stayed, true to his words. He had stayed in his room through the goodbyes, choosing to keep to himself for now.Rune tossed and turned in his room, suddenly at a loss of what to do with his time now that his usual routine had been interrupted.He was s

Eilish’s POVThe midday sun shone bright in the sky as I walked down the busy but familiar streets. It had been a while since I last walked these paths.I let my eyes wander about, taking note of every change that had been made in my absence. My eyes caught a small coffee shop I hadn’t seen before, its bright sign a little too hard to miss in a corner.I approached it, pulling the glass doors open as I made my way inside. It was small, and the smell of fresh paint still lingered in the air. I couldn’t exactly remember what had occupied this space before now, but it sure as hell wasn’t significant enough to be missed.The small space seemed a little too busy, with everyone moving back and forth, trying to get something done.I watched them briefly, a small sigh escaping my lips. Deciding to open a new cafe when the world was ending wasn’t exactly a smart choice. They had no idea the world was ending soon, and for a moment, I admired their ignorance.It had been two whole days since I l

Author’s POVThe past couple of days since his return had been slow, nothing unexpected. Kaladin stood by the window, the curtains drawn aside as he peered through, focused on his father, who was pacing outside, phone pressed against his ears.He paced, hands flying in the air as he yelled. Kaladin watched the man, a small sigh escaping his lips at the sight.A lot of things that had seemed irrelevant before he went to the sanctum seemed to make sense to him now, like how his parents always stepped outside to take certain phone calls, or how they shut the doors behind them securely when having discussions.He had on more than one occasion witnessed this, long before now. A more recent example happened about a week before he met Aeris.A long-time friend and colleague of his father had visited, and now, as he sat to really think about it, the man had seemed uneasy in a way.He had held a briefcase securely in his hand, his tie hanging loose from his neck and his hair disheveled, as if

Author’s POVRune and Wilder paused at the door, exchanging confused glances as Aeris breezed past them. Whatever that call was about seemed to have rattled him really badly. But they knew now wasn’t the time to ask questions; they just had to stay out of his way.“I’m going out to help a friend,” he said, “Stay here. Don’t go anywhere until I’m back.” With that, he turned away and disappeared into his office, the door slamming behind him almost immediately.“Wow,” Rune said, his eyes fixed still on the empty hallway Aeris had just disappeared from.Wilder scoffed lightly, “I’m going to take a nap, needed a break from all of this stuff, actually.” He had been taking the pills Aeris had given him, and so far, they had helped calm him a little. For starters, his eye bags were almost gone.Rune nodded absentmindedly, his eyes still not leaving the hallway even as Wilder’s footsteps grew distant.Without thinking, he walked up to Aeris’s office, his hands raised to knock when the door swu

Author’s POVThe darkness seemed to stretch on for as far as his eyes could see, and like a living thing, it was, it moved, slithering across the surface of the earth and consuming everything in its path.The wind was strong against his face, blowing aside loose strands of his hair. A loud growling sound filled the air as flashes of lightning illuminated the sky at intervals.Wilder stood still, his mouth hanging open as he took in the sight before him. There was nothing left, nothing familiar to remind him of the world he knew it to be.Grimfall had won; he had taken over the entire earth, and there was nothing he or anyone else could do to stop it.He looked around, trying to make sense of the landscape, but it was almost impossible as the darkness was all he could see.Tall buildings had been leveled, and everything was at ground level now. There was nothing left standing.The streets were empty for as far as he could manage to see, and there were no signs of people anywhere.His h