The darkness pressed in from all sides. I was running barefoot down a narrow corridor, the echo of my own footsteps chasing me like a heartbeat I couldn't control. The walls seemed to close in, swallowing the sound of my breathing. I could hear someone calling my name "Mira!" but it was distant, distorted, like it was being dragged through a storm.
When I looked back, I saw him . It was Jace reaching out to me, blood blooming across his chest.
"No!" I screamed, my throat raw. My legs felt heavy, like I was wading through wet cement. Hands grabbed me from behind, rough and cold, pulling me back into the shadows. I kicked, clawed, and screamed again. "Jace!"
He didn't move. His body hit the ground.
And then everything went silent.
