Chapter 48. Between Realms

Darkness.

That was the first thing that greeted me.

It was everywhere—silent, still.

Not cold. Not warm. Just… empty.

Like the pause between heartbeats.

The moment before a storm breaks.

The last thing I remembered was lying inside the circle.

The shift—that was supposed to save me.

I felt it coming… right before I slipped into whatever this was.

I wasn’t floating or falling. I just was.

For a second, I thought this might be death. It was peaceful—comforting, even. But that wasn’t me.

Not when people were still waiting for me.

Not when he was still waiting.

And then—I felt it.

A tug.

Like a thread tied deep in my core was pulling me back.

A heartbeat followed.

Weak. Faint. Barely there.

But mine.

And that was enough for me to know:

I wasn’t gone. Not yet.

If there was a way into this place… there had to be a way out.

“Ria?” I whis