The air turned heavy as a thick, blackish smoke erupted from the shattered shell, curling through the sky like ink dropped into water. It spread quickly, engulfing everything in its path until the world beyond became nothing but a swirling void.
Instinctively, everyone shut their eyes against the sudden darkness, but their ears betrayed them—sharp cracks echoed, the brittle shell of the egg giving way piece by piece until all sound faded into a chilling, unnatural silence.
No one dared to speak.
Not a single breath broke the stillness.
Then, from behind the veil of dissipating smoke, a figure began to materialize where the egg had once stood. At first, it was just a silhouette, curled on the ground with knees pulled tight to the chest. Her face was buried in her arms, her posture neither hostile nor calm—just... still.
But something was wrong.
