Vera

The veil quivered beneath my feet like a living thing, alive with light and shadow, with whispers of the past clawing at my mind. Every heartbeat felt magnified, echoing through the endless expanse. Vanessa’s golden form floated before me, glowing and untouchable, her small hands reaching outward, trembling as if the light itself sought to claim her.

“Mommy…” she whispered, the single word slicing my chest in two.

I took a step forward, my hands trembling, and the golden light ...