I ran.Behind me, reality tore apart as eight children realized what I was doing."Mommy, no!" Grace's voice—my Grace, my actual daughter—breaking through the ancient consciousness. "Mommy, please don't! I'm still here! I'm still me!"I hit the stairs. Descended three at a time. Heard footsteps behind me. Too light. Too fast. Child's footsteps moving at impossible speed."Eva, stop!" The seven-year-old boy. "You don't understand what you're destroying. We're evolution. We're—""You're extinction," I shouted back. Kept running. "You're the end of everything human."Reached the basement. Found Albert's cell. He was pressed against the reinforced door, hands flat against the metal."The circuit breaker," he said quickly. "East wall. Red button behind it. Press and hold for five seconds. It'll—"Grace appeared in front of me.Not walked. Materialized. Eyes streaming tears. Face twisted between ancient entity and terrified child."Mommy, don't," she begged. "Please. I'm fighting it. I'm fi
Last Updated : 2026-01-15 Read more