The darkness stretched out, vast and suffocating, as Ava's eyes blinked open. Cold sweat drenched her skin, and her heart pounded erratically. She was there again—in the Abyss. The overwhelming silence of the place felt like it had weight, crushing her chest, pressing in on her like a thousand invisible hands. Ava's breathing grew ragged, shallow, as she tried to steady herself, but no matter how hard she concentrated, the shadows only grew thicker, wrapping around her like serpents.
"Wake up, Ava," a voice whispered through the darkness. Familiar, yet distant, like an echo from another life. "You can't stay here. You have to wake up."
