Panic grips me like a vice as my feet touch down on the cold, shifting ground of this dark realm. Shadows coil around me, whispering secrets I wish to never understand.
I've read about places like this in ancient texts back home, where the air is thick with magic so dense it feels alive, malevolent. This place is wrong, a twisted reflection of the world I know.
"Okay, Emma," I murmur to myself, summoning every ounce of bravery that's gotten me through the stacks of dusty tomes and the long, solitary nights of study. "You can do this."
My heart pounds a relentless rhythm as I step forward, my eyes straining to piece together the environment from the darkness that consumes everything. Each breath I take is a conscious effort, my lungs protesting against the heavy air.
"Where are you?" I
