A thunderous crack split the air, followed by a concussive boom that sent vibrations racing through the ground. Ren's instincts screamed at him.
"Move!" He bellowed, shoving Lilith and Thorn back as the entire front of the building erupted in flame and stone.
The explosion ripped the air apart. Masonry split, massive chunks of stone and steel raining down as the once mighty tower groaned like a dying beast. Walls collapsed inward, glass shattered outward, and a tidal wave of dust and rubble burst into the streets.
Ren grabbed Lilith's hand with one and Thorn's shoulder with the other, hauling them back into a sprint.
They dashed clear of the collapse just as the building caved in on itself, thundering into ruin.
The street disappeared beneath a choking haze of dust, screams of soldiers and civilians swallowed in the chaos as bodies were buried alive.
Coughing, Ren pulled the edge of his cloak over his mouth, his green eyes narrowed into slits against the grit.
