POV: Maya

The gray void stretched endlessly in all directions. No up, no down, no horizon. Just endless nothing that pressed against me like fog made solid. I was dead. I knew that much. The serum had stopped my heart exactly as Nathan promised. Three minutes, he said. Just three minutes and I'd come back.

But something felt wrong. This place felt too real, too permanent. The gray wasn't empty. It was full of whispers I couldn't quite hear, movements I couldn't quite see.

Then they ...