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Facility Nine crashed through me.

Mud.

Hence.

Andrea screaming.

A wrench rising through rain.

My leg nearly folded. “No.”

I stumbled backwards. The road waited behind me. Empty. I could leave. Walk until I found signal. Call Alaric. Call anyone. My phone vibrated. I didn’t look. Not right away. Then I did⁠—

No threat.

No instruction.

Just three words.

Your choice, Nyssa.

I stared at them. That bastard. That fucking bastard. He knew exactly what mattered. My fingers tightened around the phone. “You don’t get to give me that.”

My voice disappeared into the rain. I locked the screen, slipped my phone into my pocket, then looked toward the building.

Bethany.

Andrea.

The empty cellar.

Alaric.

Not yet.

I took one step.

Pain pulled through my thigh.

Another.

My hand shook.

Another.

The building grew larger. Darkness opened ahead. I held The Phantom tighter against my chest.

One step.

Then another.

And another.

I walked.

One step.

Then another.