Chapter 55
It did not wait. The moment fear spread through the space, the darkness above moved with sudden, overwhelming force. It did not descend slowly or test her again. It came down hard, immediate and crushing, like it had decided there was no reason to hold back anymore. The pressure struck Ariana first, forcing the air out of her lungs as it slammed into her chest. The cracks beneath her feet widened instantly, light tearing upward in violent lines as the ground beneath her stopped feeling stable, as if one wrong step would send her falling through it.
