Isabella’s POV

Most times during these tests, I hovered somewhere between sleep and wakefulness, floating without direction. Without color or shape. Everything existed in greyscale echoes and muted sounds. As if I were underwater, trying to peek into the depths of the ocean.

This time felt different. Not the void—that was the same—but there was no floating. Instead, I felt something pulling me. A rope tied around my wrist, being led by unseen ...