One moment, Scarlett was in the real world, about to do something very brave and very stupid. The next, she was… nowhere.
There was no up or down, no light or dark. It was a place of everything and nothing all at once. She didn't have a body, no hands or feet, just her thoughts. It felt strange, like being a ghost, but she wasn't scared. She had a job to do.
In this endless space, there was a storm. It was a beautiful, wild storm of colors and light, a chaotic mess of energy. This was what was left of Ryan.
It was his power, his feelings, his very soul, but it had no shape. It was a song without a tune. Scarlett knew her job was to give the song its words, to give the storm a center.
She floated closer to the storm of light. It was warm and felt like him, but it was also wild and dangerous. It needed a guide. It needed an anchor.
"Okay, Ryan," she thought, her voice a silent echo in the void. "Let's put you back together. No funny business."
