"Livia, are you there!?" Atlas’s voice wasn't just a sound; it was a roar of terror that vibrated through the receiver and into the very marrow of my bones. I gripped the landline so hard the plastic groaned."I'm here," I breathed out, the words catching in my throat that felt like it was closing. My heart was a wild animal, ready to jump out of its ribcage."I told you to get the hell out of there! But there’s no time. God, Livia, there’s no time!""What do you mean there's no time?" I cried out, my voice breaking into a panicked sob. I looked toward the foyer, the grand silence of the mansion suddenly feeling heavy, like the air before a lightning strike. "Baby, listen to me," Atlas said, and suddenly, the house went silent. Not a normal quiet, it was an absolute, abyssal-like void. The hum of the refrigerator, the tick of the grandfather clock, the distant whistle of the wind... everything vanished. "Run," Atlas whispered, his voice cracking. "Run down to the basement, past
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