The reinforced glass shattered outward as if struck by a speeding truck, and the force of it sent shards flying past Laurel's face while the metal frame twisted with a deafening screech. The creature lunged through the broken doorway without hesitation, its movements no longer sluggish or human but fast and violent, like an animal driven by pure instinct.
Laurel stumbled back, her heel catching against the smooth floor as her heart pounded violently in her chest. The sight before her refused to align with the memory from minutes ago, because the woman who had held her newborn gently and whispered soft words had been fragile and exhausted, yet the thing standing before her now was something entirely different.
