The apartment was quiet.
Not because there was peace.
But because nobody knew what to say.
Penelope and Aunt Mary stepped out of the bedroom together. Behind them, Aurora remained asleep on Penelope's bed, oblivious to the fact that the world had ended less than a day ago.
For a brief moment, Penelope simply stood there.
The living room looked the same.
The sofa.
The television.
The dining table.
The warm lights overhead.
Everything looked normal.
Everything except the people sitting inside it.
Kai sat on the arm of the couch, elbows resting on his knees. There was no grin on his face.
Ben sat beside Aunt Lucy.
He hadn't spoken since they returned from the eleventh floor.
Erik stood by the window.
Killian stood beside him.
Both men stared out at the city.
No one acknowledged Penelope and Aunt Mary's arrival.
Because at that exact moment—
A scream echoed from outside.
A woman's scream.
Long.
Desperate.
Then another.
Then another.
