I close my eyes only to find myself in a dream world again.
The tranquil meadow fades away until I'm left drifting in an expanse of comforting darkness once more. Declan's warmth has dissipated, leaving me bereft but also strangely buoyed by the renewed sense of purpose he's gifted me.
Even as I resign myself to the solitude, a soft voice seems to echo all around me like the faintest whisper on a distant zephyr.
"Your courage does you credit, Rosetta. But the path forward will demand further fortitude as you've never known..."
The disembodied words hang pregnant with portent, sending an instinctive thrill of trepidation down my insubstantial form. Before my conjured sanctuary can reform anew, a sudden cacophony of raw, guttural screams pierces the tranquil void.
Agony - visceral and
