Chapter 28

The darkness didn’t feel like darkness. It felt quiet. Too quiet. I wasn’t in pain anymore. I wasn’t cold. I wasn’t anywhere.

“You’ve been hiding well,” a soft voice echoed from everywhere at once. “But not for much longer.”

I turned, and she was there. A woman made entirely of silver light. Her eyes held something ancient, something that saw right through me.

“I didn’t hide.” My voice barely carried.

Her lips curved into a slight smile. “No?”

She stepped closer, and the air around her shimmered like moonlight on water. "Then why are you still pretending to be so small?"

I swallowed hard, struggling to find my words. “I’m not—”

"You are," she interrupted gently. She wasn't being cruel. She just sounded completely sure.

“Who are you?” I asked.

She tilted her head, looking almost amused. “You already know.”

And I did. Somehow, deep down, I did.

“Why am I here?”

She said nothing. Then