This wasnât going to work, he thought. If he really wanted to get to safety, a miracle would have to occur, and Jack was well aware of how unlikely such a thing would be. Maybe this was the end. Maybe heâd wake up from this blasted dream, crushed by falling bricks and stones. Maybe itâd be better to just accept his fate.
   Then, suddenly, an arm was wrapped securely around his waist. The Gothamite flinched, shocked at the womanâs sudden appearance.
   Howâ?
   What happened next took place almost too quickly for Jack to understand. In the blink of an eye, they were teleported elsewhere, her grasp loosening as they skidded and collapsed upon the ground. It seemed quieter now; they mustâve gotten away from the worst of the earthquake. With a groan, he squinted his eyes⌠before slowly pushing himself up. His suit looked beaten up with a few scratches and bruises, but at least he wasnât dead. Green eyes widening, he looked up at the woman as she jogged closer. Was he alright?
   âY-Yesââ
   He accepted her hands, taken away by the overwhelming change of events. Kindly, she pulled him up to his feet. Not only was it shocking to be experiencing such a disaster, but to be saved by someone like her â it really did seem surreal. âNo, really â you have nothing to apologise for, you saved meâŚâ
   He paused â before seeming to recall his manners. Awkwardly, he offered a hand for shaking, brows knitting as though in concern. âIâm Jack Napierâ itâs.. itâs a pleasure to meet you.â Another tense pause. Clearly something was on his mind. ââŚIâm sorry, how on earth did you manage to move us away from there?â
  She clasped the proffered hand and shook it, with a firm, inviting grip. âIâm so relieved to hear that!â He seemed out of sorts, but if heâd broken anything before or after their trip, heâd not be standing painlessly. âAnd here I was thinking Iâd killed you. Youâre a lot tougher than you look, thatâs for certain.â The witcheress laughed, eyes glistening with relief, as her hold eased.
  âMy nameâs Ciri.â She stood with shoulders back, hands resting casually on her hips, as she allowed his question to linger in the air a moment longer. âThat? Oh, that was nothing. Shouldnât bother yourself trying to figure out. At any rate, its unlikely youâd believe me, even if I did tell you.â A coy smile teased the edges of the girlâs mouth. "Now letâs see where weâve landed, shall we?â
  Their platform was made up of dark clay bricks, surrounded by black, metallic railing with pointed tips that stopped against a wall, in which was embedded a door. Despite tremors and quakes that rattled the city, this place remained undisturbed, save for bird droppings scattered randomly here and there. No further inspection was necessary; even the dullest of minds wouldâve figured they were on a roof. Ciri counted themselves lucky theyâd not landed on a slanted one spied off in the distance.Â
  âIâd only intended to take us around the corner...â she muttered, with a note of irritation, starting for the door. Her fingers curled around its knob, though stopped short of opening it. With a look over her shoulder, Ciri motioned him over with a head tilt. âLetâs move on to the lower levels. I'm eager to find out where weâve ended up.â
  With that, Ciri entered and descended, knowing Jack would follow. The hall spiraled into the dark; aside from the tapping of her own boots against the hard cement steps, not a sound rose from the inky depths. Unable to bear the silence any longer, the witcheress called back to her companion, âHave you been in this city long? You seem rather adjusted for someone so skittish.âÂ











