Lorelei

The darkness didn’t just swallow the light; it swallowed sound, time, and reason. When the lock clicked into place, my heart didn't just beat faster—it tried to claw its way out of my chest, a frantic bird trapped in a cage of bone. The silence was a physical weight, pressing down until my ears rang with a high, thin whine that was all my own terror.

I stood frozen for a long time, my back pressed against the cold door, waiting for my eyes to adjust. They never did. This was a ...