Aria woke screaming.
The sound tore itself from her throat before she could stop it, raw and panicked, echoing across the fractured tier like a living thing. Her body jerked upright, hands clutching at her chest as though something inside her were trying to claw its way out.
Her lungs burned.
Her heart pounded violently against her ribs.
For a brief, terrifying moment, she couldn’t tell where she was or who she was.
The embers inside her stirred restlessly, not exploding, not surging outward, but pressing against the anchor she had forced into existence. They were contained, yes, but they were not calm.
Fear whispered.
Not a memory.
Not a vision.
A voice.
You locked me away, it murmured. Did you think I would sleep?
Aria squeezed her eyes shut, teeth clenched. “You’re not real,”
