With a startling whoosh, as if conjured from the very fabric of the universe, a young woman materialized on the seashore.
Her clothes were in tatters, her hair in wild disarray, and her face as pale as the foam-kissed waves.
"Where am I?" She mumbled, her head spinning in a disorienting fog.
Struggling to find her balance, she stumbled and fell, her body making an abrupt connection with the cold embrace of the water.
Confusion danced in her eyes as she tried to piece together her surroundings.
Just as she was attempting to recover from her dizziness, the symphony of various footsteps, like whispers of an enigma, reached her ears.
She tried to rise, only to fall once more, muttering through gritted teeth, "Why is the effect of the thousand-mile talisman this strong?"
"Are you okay, young lady?" The voice of a middle-aged woman, filled with concern, cut through the bewildering moment.
