ministrative buildi

te button-down shirt and a plain black skirt. It was the only professio

ed at the cracked screen of her

erupted near th

hree black Maybachs

the dean rushed toward the glass doors. Their f

f the lead

e black suit that screamed power. Six mas

ter of hundred students died. The sheer, oppressi

throat. Her heart slammed again

lide behind the marble pillar, aimin

i

n right behind her. The sound w

d the sound. The president b

d her back aga

gruff vo

s thick arm out to clear the path. H

balance. Her fingers slipped. The

id directly into the path of B

n sto

lobby held

e old, cracked phone tou

l knot. She gritted her teeth. She step

on shifted his weight. The heavy leather sole of h

yah

y lifted

s met B

e they looked at eac

ysical weight. He scanned her faded shirt. He looked at her thick

d. His voice was low, but it car

thought she was a desperate student t

the crowd of students.

president hissed. "S

not defend herself. Speaking

rd. The device scraped out from under his shoe. The scr

looked at his chest, refu

robotic, lifeless drawl that sounded nothing like the terrified, breathless whisper he might vaguely remember from the darkness. Bryton heard th

toward the stairwell. She kep

, physical itch crawled up the back of his neck. Something

way. He scoffed and ste

stairwell door open. It

e back of her shirt. She looked at her ruined phone. The d