Chapter 56. Between Worlds

Everything felt heavy.

Not just his body, but his chest, his head, his soul... even the air around him.

At first, Hayden thought he was underwater. His ears buzzed, sound warped and distant, light flickering weakly above him. When he tried to open his eyes, they barely twitched. His body refused to move. The weight pressing down on him was thick, endless.

Then, slowly, sound started to break through.

A faint, muffled but familiar voice.

"Myla..."

He didn't know if he said it out loud or just thought it, but the name rolled through him like a heartbeat.

Another softer and lighter voice answered. Beck. He could almost see him, leaning against a wall, pretending to be calm. Then Jared's voice, sharp but trembling at the edges.

They were so close that he could feel them.

He tried to move again, even if it was just his fingers, but nothing happened. His chest felt like it was wrapped in ice as panic started to claw at him,