The ground groaned beneath them, a deep and unsteady shudder that rolled through the ruined streets like the breath of something vast and unseen. Shards of loose masonry rattled down from rooftops, clinking on the cobblestones. Somewhere distant, the warped chimes of broken metal rang against one another in uneven rhythm.
"The hell was that?" Ludwig's voice cut through the uneasy stillness, low but edged, as he steadied himself against the tremor. The vibration lingered faintly in the soles of his boots, the air itself carrying that subtle, oppressive hum that spoke of great forces moving just out of sight.
"Don't know, to be honest," Thomas answered, materializing at Ludwig's shoulder as if drawn by the disturbance. His spectral form wavered slightly, the edges of him shimmering with each pulse of the quake. "But we should probably head out, no?"
