The daybreak became silent, a deceptive stillness falling over Blackthorn as Avery lay wide awake, his mind heavy with the events of the previous night. The traitor, Reeve, had shattered their fortifications, and his threat lingered in her mind: Blackthorn will fall, and you will follow. Every remark had sparked profound, lingering concerns in her mind.
But as she drifted, half asleep, an odd sensation came over her. It was as if her awareness was stretching, reaching beyond her physical body, traveling across strata she couldn't see but should have felt. Her surroundings decreased, changing to a hazy grayness, silent and heavy, and a tingling feeling pulsed in her head, hot and strangely soothing.
And then she heard it: a faint but clear voice from everyone around her. It transformed into her voice, but layered, like echoes on echoes. Avery… Are you able to hear us?
