The simulation was terrifyingly real, the car interior, the rising water, Rose and Stefan watching from above. Initially, panic seized me, the memory of that night too vivid, too raw. But something shifted inside me as I watched Rose's smug smile. Rage sparked through my terror. Hot, clarifying rage.
The water stopped rising. Began to recede. In my mind, I pushed against the car door. It opened. Not possible in reality, not with water pressure, but this wasn't reality. This was my mind, my rules. I stepped out of the sinking car, but instead of drowning, I rose. Moved upward through the water as if gravity had reversed.
I emerged from the river like an avenging angel, dressed in a tailored power suit, hair perfectly styled, makeup flawless. Rose's smile faltered as I stood on the water's
