The lady in white

Chapter 3 - The Veil Between Realms

The sky was overcast, and the girl lay in the warmth of the afternoon, a soft hum of astral meditation whispering in her ears. Somewhere between wakefulness and slumber, her body grew heavier than stone. Her eyelids fluttered, unwilling to open, as if gravity had claimed not just her flesh, but her spirit too. And then, the shift began. She found herself standing on a narrow village street. Dust swirled in the quiet air. Across the way stood a cluster of old houses. One of them pulled her gaze—its window slightly ajar, revealing something... unnatural. Inside, a strange creature cowered. It was the color of burning marigolds, its form a bizarre mix of lion, fox, and something reptilian. It was trapped, not by humans, but by the firm hold of a lion's claw. Startled, the creature escaped, darting into a nearby abandoned house and blocking the door from inside. Before she could process what she saw, the street shimmered and twisted. Now, she stood before her own house. Two women approached—strangers with oddly familiar faces. They smiled, talked as though they had always known her. Their voices dripped with sweetness, but something in her chest tightened. "We're shifting to another realm," one said gently, like it was a mundane chore. But her eyes betrayed her calm tone—hollow, ancient eyes. The girl stepped back. One of them reached toward the wooden drawer and placed a yellow cloth atop it. The moment their eyes met, the woman whispered, "Spread the ashes throughout the house. It must be done." The air chilled. The scene snapped. A door opened. On the other side lay a hallway bathed in red candlelight. Flames flickered like eyes, watching. The atmosphere pulsed with the energy of another world. She understood then—this wasn't a dream. It wasn't just imagination. It was her power. She wasn't merely seeing. She was *crossing*. Her soul knew how to walk between the realms. Between the ordinary and the extraordinary. Between the living and the shadowed. She wasn't the same girl anymore. She was something more.