Darkness surrounded me.
Not just the absence of light—the kind of darkness that pressed in from all sides, heavy and suffocating. I blinked, but it made no difference. There was no up or down, no left or right. Just an endless void that felt like it was swallowing me whole.
"Hello?" My voice was barely a whisper, shaky and uncertain. I cleared my throat and tried again, louder this time. "Hello? Is anyone there?"
Silence.
Then, a voice, soft and distant. I told you to save him.
My heart skipped a beat. "Who's there?" I spun around, my eyes straining to see something—anything—in the oppressive blackness.
I told you to protect him.
The voice was closer now, sharp and accusing. I froze, my breath catching in my throat.
"Who are you?" I demanded, my voice breaking.
And then she lunged out of the darkness.
