"Shhhh… don't make a sound."
The woman in the sleek business skirt — Karen's manager, Eliza — pressed her finger to her lips.
Her lipstick had smudged, her once-perfect hair was loose and messy, but her eyes were sharp with fear.
Karen's heart thudded violently against her chest.
The room around them was dim, the curtains drawn tight.
Only the flickering light from the chaos outside gave the two women a fragile illusion of safety.
They had been trapped in the hotel room for over an hour now.
What was supposed to be a calm meeting about their upcoming shows had turned into a nightmare neither could comprehend.
Karen had come here hoping to talk — to focus on work, to get her mind off Ross and the confusing feelings he had stirred inside her — but now, none of that mattered.
Outside, the world was ending.
The chaos had started so suddenly it didn't even feel real.
