The noise around the square mutes to nothing as rocks and debris fly towards her, the force tugging at our hair and clothing. She sucks everything in, and we all cling to the rubble as she pulls and pulls like a giant gaping mouth, preparing to swallow us whole. D’Arcy remains where she started, her stance hunched as she continues filtering starlight into the ark, but Zerra only has eyes for me.

I’m on my feet again, ignoring everything around me. I’m running as debris pelts me left and right, ignoring the jabs of pain. I hear my name. People screaming as I throw myself on top of Nadir.

My ears hurt from the absence of sound as she sucks every last drop of air towards her, and then . . . everything pauses for a long unbearable heartbeat before she drops her head, staring right at me before it all reverses, everything flying out with a sonic boom that shakes the foundations of the earth.

Nadir and I go flying, tumbling end over end against the rubble. My body hits something hard and sharp, pain spearing through me as I roll down, crashing, bumping, and then eventually come to a stop.

Breathing heavily, I lie on the ground, willing my head to stop spinning. Blood leaks into my eyes, and I move to wipe it away, every limb seizing with pain. In a moment, the aftermath silences as everything again reduces to stillness.

Nadir. I roll over and let out a sob of relief when I see him lying a few feet away.

I drag myself over and throw my arms around him. “Are you okay?” I whisper, and he nods.

“I think so. She almost killed you.”

“She almost took you.”

He squeezes me against him before I lift my head, trying to see where everyone else landed. D’Arcy kneels in the middle of the chaos, the pieces of the broken ark scattered around her. I have no idea how she held on through all of that.

I scan the plaza. Where is Tristan? Amya? The action sends a stab of pain across my scalp.

Slowly, I roll over onto my hands and knees, ignoring the painful scrapes and bruises, when a sound draws my attention. The earth shakes with more snapping and cracking.

I look up towards the Heart Castle and then slowly rise to my feet, my injuries temporarily forgotten. The tallest towers shudder and then start to collapse, toppling against one another. They crumble together, crashing down, roaring against the silence as the entire castle slowly sinks into a heap.

I feel the force of the breeze it generates against my cheeks as dust coats the air, my skin, and my clothes. Time seems to stop as the castle finally implodes in a mountain of wreckage. It takes another minute before everything goes silent again.