LAUREN'S POV

I suddenly opened my eyes and found myself standing on a beach. For a moment, I couldn’t tell if I was dreaming or if this was real. The air was soft and humid, carrying that salty tang that always came from the ocean. I could hear the gentle roar of the waves rolling toward the shore, crashing and retreating like a heartbeat — steady, rhythmic, endless.

When I turned my head to the right, my breath caught for a second. I knew this place. The way the horizon stretched ...