At the surface of the cave, Maddy smiled widely as she watched her children running around—ants crawling through the soil, the earth beneath her feet, the green of the forest, the fresh wind, and the warmth of the sunlight.
"I hope… I hope this scenery… never changes."
Then, the world shattered.
"GAH!!!"
The scream was ripped from her throat before she could process the sensation. It wasn't just pain; it was a structural collapse. An intense cramping seized her lower abdomen, radiating outward like a shockwave of molten lead into her back and thighs. Her knees hit the soft earth—the earth she had just been praising—as her breath hitched in a throat constricted by agony.
Every heartbeat wasn't a pulse… it was a hammer blow against her spine.
One horrifying realization pierced through the fog of torment. Her eyes went wide, reflecting a sudden terror as she clutched at her stomach.
"M-my… Mobile Womb…"
She shouted toward her children.
