Page 217 of Eternal Ruin

There was too much ringing.

Ringing.

“That was only the first one!” Yusef’s shout pierced through the bubble of noise. “We need to get out!”

Frantically, Yusef pointed to the windows. Safety.

Kidan willed her legs to move, to focus on the pocket of sunlight and not the end of the world. Stumbling through a portion of the collapsed roof, they ran.

Something caught Slen, wrenching her from them. The broken limb of a statue had made her stumble, rolling her ankle.

Another rumble tore at their feet.

The second boom was coming.

“Slen!” Kidan shouted, finally finding her voice. “Get up!”

Blood was running down Slen’s forehead. Panic stretched her pupils wide on the edge of glimpsing death. She tried to stand and fell again. Kidan started to run back but Yusef got there first, pushing Slen aside just as the second explosion put them off-balance, crashing them to their knees on the cement.

Boom.

Kidan’s back met the ground, her arms shielding her head. Everything spun, she was unable to see through the dust. Someone was shouting her name, pleading for her to help. She forced her eyes to focus, trying to find the sound.

Slen’s shoulders were hunched over a figure.

And she was screaming.

Yusef’s body was trapped beneath a monstrous column.

Crushed.

A broken sound left Kidan.

The world went entirely dark and only Yusef came into view. Slen’s scream moved Kidan to her feet, forced her to cross the broken concrete to them. Blood trailed out of Yusef’s lips, warm brown eyes staring up. He was trying to speak.

“You’re going to be fine. You’re going to be fine.”

She didn’t recognize her own voice, the tremble to it, but Kidan repeated the words.

Slen and Kidan tried to move the white pillar from Yusef’s body. It was the size of a mountain, and rooted in place.

“Fuck!” Kidan screamed with all her voice, hoping someone would hear them. “Help!”

Slen slid down the curved stone, breathing raggedly. A horrible realization settled across her face. She limped around to Yusef, kneeling over his head.

“Slen!” Kidan barked. “Come help me!”

Slen didn’t move, her face stricken.

“It was only supposed to be a distraction.” Yusef’s voice was thin, blood running down his forehead from his soft curls. “So they could free him. My dad.”

Slen cradled his face. For once, her voice was full, nothing but pained emotion. “What did you do?”

“The Dirt Diggers offered me a deal.”

Slen’s accusatory eyes sliced right through Kidan. Tear-slicked and raging with pain.

“No…” Kidan shook her head. “I didn’t know.”