Chapter– The Sound of Silence

The moment the ceiling crashed down, my body hit the cold marble with a crack that stole the air from my lungs. Dust choked the corridor, thick as smoke, and the world slowed into a maddening silence. No gunfire. No screams. Just the echo of Nico’s voice swallowed by stone.

I tried to move, but my limbs trembled under the weight of debris. Something sharp sliced into my arm when I reached forward—a steel beam, jagged and red.

Pain lit up every nerve. Still, I pushed.

“Nico!”

My voice came out broken. Dry. But the name still tore from my throat like a prayer—or a...