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apart.
    The billions of humans on the Earth are a drop in the bucket compared to the souls in Heaven, the ghouls in the Dark Lands, and even the demons in Hell. All of them will be destroyed without the Firmament.
    I sway from foot to foot, my head swimming with the realization. It’s one thing to suspect a big kaboom will take down your world. It’s quite another to see it happen before your eyes. A chilly cloak of shock presses in around me. This can’t be real.
    Maxon sets us all down a few yards from the sinkhole’s edge. “The humans will lose it when they see this,” he says. “They won’t be able to explain it away with their science.”
    “We’ll figure out some way to hide it,” says Dad. “We always do.”
    Mom turns to me. “I’m more concerned about what this means for the after-realms. How much trouble are we in, Portia?”
    There’s no sugar coating this. “Serious trouble. The after-realms could fall apart.” A chill of fear rolls up my body.
    “How soon?” asks Dad.
    “Weeks. Maybe days.”
    My father’s features harden. “We need to gather everyone together and come up with a plan.”
    I raise my hand halfway. “I really think we should—”
    “One minute, Portia.” Dad’s words are dismissive. It’s the way he’d talk to a guard or an earl, or anyone who’s not critical to the problem at hand. My family is in crisis mode, and I’ve never had a serious part to play in that. Bands of frustration tighten my chest. I need to have a voice here, for all our sakes.
    Dad punches some keys on the handheld strapped to his wrist. “I’m not getting any read from Antrum.”
    “Do you think the sinkhole affected the thrax?” asks Mom.
    “Yeah,” says Maxon. “Could’ve gotten all the after-realms.”
    “It did impact all the after-realms,” I say.
    No one responds to me. Dad keeps punching into his handheld while Mom and Maxon debate what to do next. This is my area of expertise and it’s like I’m invisible. My hands clench into fists. I can’t let this happen.
    Firming up my spine, I speak in a louder voice. “Look, guys—”
    “Damn,” says Maxon. “I forgot about the elementals. I need to check on them.”
    “Go,” says Dad. “We’ll regroup at the Hearth.” The Hearth is our family home in Purgatory. It’s where we always meet when trouble goes down. “We need status reports on the after-realms. Come find us when you’re ready.”
    Maxon nods and disappears. The moment he’s gone, the electronic wail of sirens slices the night air.
    “We’ve got to get moving,” says Dad. He takes off into the night and we follow. My body is on autopilot. The whole scene is surreal.
    “Sorry, baby,” Mom looks back over her shoulder at me as we run along. “You were trying to say something before? Your father and I hit a groove when there’s an emergency. We didn’t mean to cut you off.”
    Anger flares inside me. It burns out my dazed mood and puts everything in focus. Suddenly, I don’t care how things were done before. They need to take me seriously now.
    I pick up speed until we’re running side by side. “I’ve studied the Void for years. I know you all get in your crisis-groove, but I think you need to really listen to what I have to tell you.”
    “Sure, baby,” she says quickly. “Of course. We’ll talk about it at the Hearth.”
    I frown. That’s not the heartfelt acknowledgment of teamwork that I was hoping for. Saving the after-realms will be hard enough without having to fight to get every insight across to my family.
    The weight of every life in the after-realms presses around me until it’s hard to breathe. I know how my family works: fight first and ask questions later. But fighting the Void won’t be enough. We have to focus on rebuilding the Firmament. I only hope I can get them to listen before it’s too late.

Chapter Five
    Mom, Dad, Walker, and I all wait in the main room of the Hearth. Computer equipment is stacked on our massive