The nothingness crushed against Avery, thick and swallowing, its quiet complete. Every step seemed heavy, as if it was dragging her further into the unknown. The gatekeeper stared at her with disconcerting intensity, its figure a shifting shadow in contrast to the endless darkness. Shadows whispered in her head, pieces of forgotten languages, and images of stars colliding and nation-states tearing apart.
As Avery moved onward, she became aware of something new. A faint but repetitive pulse sprang from somewhere deep inside her. The sensation became strange and familiar, like a song she had forgotten but remembered by heart. The further she walked, the louder it became, persistent and insistent, resounding through her veins and calling to her.
"What… what is this?" Avery gasped, clutching her chest as the pulse quickened, a steady beat that echoed with ancient strength.
