The light was blinding, piercing through the void with an intensity that made Adira squeeze her eyes shut. For a moment, she felt weightless, suspended in a vast emptiness where time and sound ceased to exist. Then, like a rubber band snapping back into place, reality reasserted itself.
Adira hit the ground hard, her body jolting with the impact. The cold, cracked earth beneath her was familiar—the forest clearing at the Rift's edge. She gasped for air, her chest heaving as her senses flooded back.
Kane's voice cut through the haze. "Adira!"
She looked up to see him rushing toward her, his expression a mix of relief and panic. Finn trailed behind, his face pale and drawn.
"You're alive," Kane said, dropping to his knees beside her. His hands hovered over her as if unsure whether to touch her.
Adira managed a weak smile. "Told you I'd come back."
