Chapter 71
VANESSA
I slowly opened my eyes, groggily taking in my surroundings. But as my gaze fell upon the endless expanse of dark sky above, my heart skipped a beat. I was met with an unsettling sight - a desert, devoid of any life or colour, stretching out before me like an eternal grave. The sky above was a deep, foreboding grey, like a physical manifestation of my deepest fears.
A shiver ran down my spine as I scrambled to my feet, my eyes darting frantically around the desolate landscape. The air was thick with an eerie silence, punctuated only by the whisper of sand beneath my feet. I spun around, desperate to find some semblance of familiarity, but there was nothing. No landmarks, no features, just an endless sea of sand and rock.
“Hello!” I yelled, my voice echoing back. “I
