The house was quiet. Soft jazz played from an old speaker. On the couch, Troy lay reclined, one arm around Annie, the other holding Zoe as she drifted off to sleep against his chest. Sam sat cross-legged on the floor, beating him at a trivia app and laughing about it.
For a moment, the world felt perfect.
No sirens. No calls for help. Just peace.
Then came the tremor.
The walls shivered. A low, impossible hum buzzed through the ground.
The screen on the wall flashed, a red emergency broadcast overlay cut into every feed.
“BREAKING: Cities Under Attack—Unknown Entities—Evacuate Immediately!”
Troy shot up, handing Zoe to Annie. He rushed to the window.
The sky over Nightingale cracked open with fire.
A pulse of energy lit up the horizon. Then a second. And a third.
The television flickered to space-feed mode as satellite cameras streamed from orbit. And space drone cameras were sent out.