That missing piece of myself clicked into place, sending a rush through me so intense that it tore away everything under my feet, plunging me into utter darkness. A blinding, searing light erupted behind my eyelids, and before I could resist, my eyes flew open. The intense brightness faded slowly, leaving me in an unfamiliar world that made no sense.
This wasn’t a memory—at least not one of mine. I stood in the remnants of what had once been a grand forest. The towering trees were now mere husks, their former strength turned to hollow, lifeless shells. Branches and what looked disturbingly like bones were strewn across the ground, leaving behind a bleak, barren wasteland. The stench of stale, decaying air filled my nose, and I barely suppressed a gag before it overtook me.
Before I could
