The Book that Broke the World

Grace had always felt like a bystander in her own life. She memorised names, and faces, and numberplates in case she should ever be called on to give evidence. She died peacefully, never regretting her decision not to take part.

“It is . . . dangerous and difficult . . . for a timeless being to speak of temporary things. You have written a wound into the world, broken ageless laws.” A white hand intercepted Livira’s denial. “There is a book that is also a loop. A book that has swallowed its own tale. It is a ring, a cycle, burning through the years, spreading cracks through time, fissures that reach into its past and future. And through those cracks things that have no business in the world of flesh can escape.”