Nothing explodes.
That's what makes it unbearable.
The creatures don't rush in all at once.
They seep.
They ooze through the widening tear in reality like ink poured into water, slow and deliberate, shapes unfolding piece by piece. Long limbs, jointed wrong. Wings that drag against the floor. Eyes opening in places eyes should never exist.
Your kitchen becomes a place that does not belong to Earth anymore.
Mira stands in the doorway like a queen on a ruined throne, watching it all with quiet satisfaction.
Azael shifts his stance, subtly placing himself more firmly between you and her.
"Don't move," he murmurs.
You don't.
Your heart beats so loud you're sure they can hear it.
One of the creatures steps fully through the tear. Its body looks like a twisted reflection of a man, skin stretched too tight over sharp, angular bones. A mouth splits open across its chest and whispers something you don't understand.
Your hands begin to glow.
Azael glances back. "Not yet."
"Why?" you whisper.
"Because they want to see what you can do."
As if in answer, the creature tilts its head toward you.
Its many eyes lock onto your face.
And then it smiles.
A sound scrapes out of it, something between a laugh and a sob.
"Chosen," it breathes.
Your stomach twists violently.
Mira watches you, eyes shining. "They've been waiting for you."
The creature takes one slow step forward.
The floor beneath it darkens, cracking like dried blood.
Azael raises one hand.
The air thickens in front of you, invisible and dense, like an unseen wall.
The creature presses against it and hisses.
"Tell them to leave," you whisper desperately.
Mira tilts her head. "Why would I do that?"
"Because I'm still here," you plead. "I'm still your friend."
For a heartbeat, something soft flickers in her eyes.
Then it vanishes.
"I don't need friends anymore," she says. "I have purpose."
Behind her, more shapes press forward, crowding the tear. The sound of claws on unseen surfaces fills the room.
Azael lowers his voice. "They're probing. Testing. They don't want a fight yet."
"So what do they want?" you whisper.
"To see how much you care."
Mira steps closer.
The temperature drops with every movement she makes.
"You should run," she says almost kindly. "It would be more entertaining."
Azael's jaw tightens.
"I won't let you touch them."
Mira smiles. "You won't have to."
She snaps her fingers.
Something in the darkness shifts.
The creatures pause.
The room holds its breath.
And then—
Every light in the apartment goes out.
Total darkness.
Not just the absence of light.
The presence of something else.
You feel a cold hand brush your shoulder.
You don't know whose it is.
Azael's voice cuts through the dark. "Stay where you are."
Mira laughs softly, somewhere too close.
"Let's see," she whispers, "how long you can stay in one piece."
Something moves behind you.
And you realize—
They're not attacking.
They're waiting.