Naraka Break

My mother tackled me to the ground, grabbed me, and pulled me tight against her. For a moment, I thought it was a hug, that she was relieved—and then I was abruptly colder than I’d ever been in my entire life as air began to solidify around us. No, it was more than that even; I felt heat as well, the earth liquefying enough for us to sink into, sending a wave of agonizing heat through me even as I froze in place. It hurt, hurt unbelievably, and I didn’t understand why she was…

Oh, I thought. She was trying to protect me. But I’d already saved us. I’d already—

And then I felt Naraka shatter, breaking from the outside. As it did, I knew the Pandora Shell had opened.

And I knew I’d failed.

...

“Seems that way,” He agreed, looking amused. “I don’t know if I’d have been brought in for any sufficiently large group of Hunters or if you’re just that special, though. Either way, when my brother woke me up to a whole lot of nothing, I was a bit confused—but then I saw your barrier and got a bit interested. I haven’t seen anyone use that old thing in a long, long time.”

“You recognized it?” I felt my heart plummet for a moment.

“’Course I recognized it,” He chuckled. “I helped destroy the civilization that invented it.”

“Then you were the one who broke it,” I said.

“Obviously,” He cracked his neck. “Not to sound too arrogant, but I developed something of a knack for finding people who think they’re safe and proving that they really aren’t. A lot of people tried to escape my brothers and I. A lot of people failed.”

“You infected someone who knew how to break the barrier,” I guessed and then confirmed my worst fears with my Clairvoyance. “You can use Aura. But the Grimm…”