MAXINE

I stared at him, letting his words settle over me. He lifted his brow at me in question. I swallowed and nodded slowly. He was right. I couldn’t let fear rule me. I needed to be strong.

I closed my eyes again and took a deeper breath. I pushed past the fear and focused. I let the world fall away around me and searched for the artifact's power. At first, there was nothing. Everything was dark.

But then, I saw myself somewhere really white. Warmth filled my body as I kept walking. ...