The world seemed to fracture at its seams. Time stilled, and the clouds above crystallized in an unnatural rigidity, losing their gentle drift.
A heavy, suffocating darkness flooded the sky, snuffing out all sunlight in a heartbeat. The icy winds froze mid-blow, leaving a surreal silence in their wake. Even Cedric stood motionless, a faint smile frozen on his weary face, utterly unaware.
"C-Cedric?" Aira's voice was barely a trembling whisper, her chest heaving with mounting panic. She desperately reached toward him, but a wall of invisible force held her back, her fingers clawing uselessly at empty air.
The oppressive darkness grew denser, wrapping around her like a shroud. An unsettling stillness pressed down upon her, deafening and absolute. With a sudden shiver, her gaze was irresistibly drawn upward.
