Golden light shattered like glass, its fragments dissolving into nothing.
Reinhard's eyes snapped open before he felt his vision adjusting from the warm glow of Martha's fantasy to the dim light of the underground chamber. His boots touched polished stone, and then he felt the roots around him beginning to move.
They unwrapped slowly in a controlled manner that pulled away from his arms, his torso, and his legs.
Each tendril released its grip and withdrew, leaving him standing free before the massive root's base. He stepped backward as his hand instinctively steadied himself against empty air before finding balance.
Ahead, the golden cocoon glows once again, and then the light intensified briefly before dimming. The roots encasing it began unwrapping at a slower rate than his had, but with the same purpose.
Layer after layer peeled away, revealing Martha's form, and then she fell.
