Nate's eyes shot open as he gasped for air, his chest heaving. His breaths came short and frantic, like a drowning man breaking through the surface of water. It took several long seconds for his breathing to steady, and when it finally did, he reached up instinctively, feeling a foreign weight around his neck. His fingers brushed against cold metal—a collar.
He tugged at it with all his strength, hoping to break it free, but the collar didn't budge.
"Don't waste your strength," came Alice's voice, soft and measured, from somewhere to his right.
Nate froze, squinting into the darkness. "Alice?" he called out. The space around them was pitch-black, oppressive in its void. His instinct kicked in, and he tried summoning his fire to illuminate the room. Nothing happened.
"It's no use," Alice said again, her voice tinged with exhaustion. "The collar isn't just for show. It blocks our powers… and our vision. We're completely blind here."
