Silence.
Not the kind that comes with peace, but the kind that hums with something ancient and watching. The kind that presses against your ears until your own heartbeat becomes the only sound left.
When I opened my eyes, there was no sky. No stars. Only a horizon of endless gray stretching into nothing. The air felt weightless, empty—like I was standing in a dream that had forgotten how to exist.
I sat up slowly, every muscle screaming. The last thing I remembered was Killian’s voice—I love you—and the pull of the void swallowing us whole.
“Killian,” I whispered, scanning the expanse. “Killian!”
My voice echoed, bouncing back to me a thousand times over until it sounded like ghosts repeating my name.
Then, faintly—just faintly—I heard a reply.
“Aria…”
I turned sharply. The sound c
