[Bonus chapter] Surreal

~ SASHA ~

Sasha took the last step through what appeared to be a pulsing, glass window, rippled and shifting to obscure what was behind it. The ground on its other side was uneven dirt and she stumbled, catching herself on a stone wall, then blinking so her eyes would adjust.

She stood in an old tunnel—brick and stone sides curved together over her head, though the floor was dirt and lead seamlessly out into the bright sunlight at the end. As she blinked and squinted, she could make out a rough staircase climbing to the right, while the ground plunged over the lip of earth and down into a forest ahead. The place looked ancient and handmade. Perhaps left over from the war?

Where the hell was she?

Then a shadow shifted, right where the sunlight was cut and the tunnel turned dark. Sasha startled as Nick materialized, his voice heavy with relief.