Traveling like this is nothing like appearing in Sister Miriam''s home.


    It''s just a rush of white and nothing.


    A lack of sound.


    There''s no wind. No air to breathe. And yet I don''t suffocate in its absence, almost as if I don''t need to breathe at all.


    Even so, I''m falling.


    I can feel it deep in my soul.


    Until I crash into a nebulous something and the world coalesces around me again.


    The world blinks into focus, and I find myself somewhere... else. Somewhere decidedly not my room at the lodge.


    I spin slowly, taking in my new surroundings. Towering rock cliffs encircle me, their jagged peaks reaching into an impossibly blue sky, uninterrupted by even a wisp of cloud. The air carries a crisp, clean scent, untainted by the usual odors of civilization. It fills my lungs with a refreshing coolness that I''ve never felt before. Something I may never experience again.


    In the center of this hidden vale, a crystalline pond sparkles, its aqua waters more vivid than any I''ve seen before. The surface is still, like a polished mirror reflecting the heavens above. I''m drawn to it, my feet moving of their own accord until I stand at the water''s edge.


    As I stare into the mesmerizing depths, a thought drifts through my mind—that this place is imbued with magic. It''s a strange notion, but one that feels undeniably true. The very air seems to hum with an unseen energy, making my skin tingle.


    "That''s because it is," a melodic voice says from behind me. "It''s the magic within your soul."


    Startled, I whirl around to face the speaker. A woman stands before me, her beauty almost ethereal. Silver hair spills over her shoulders, puddling against the ground. And yet there''s no frizz. Not a single hair out of place. Impossible, with that length.


    And her eyes? Bright and colorless. Inhuman. And yet somehow kind.


    "Look deep within yourself, Ava," Selena murmurs, her voice seeming to echo from the very rocks around us. "Embrace the magic that is your birthright. It''s been locked away for far too long, and the earth begs for its return."


    I take a deep breath, closing my eyes and letting the tranquility of this place wash over me. And as I do, I feel a stirring deep within my soul, a spark of something vast and powerful. Something I''ve never been able to access before.


    It grows, expanding outward until it fills every fiber of my being, until I am one with the magic that surrounds me.


    When I open my eyes again, the world has changed. The colors are brighter, more vibrant. The air hums with a tangible energy, and I can feel the life force of every living thing around me. And at the center of it all, I sense the pulsing core of my own magic, a wellspring of power that has always been there, waiting to be tapped.


    It''s tiny—little more than a spark.


    And when I glance within the water, my reflection is no longer blazing with light. It''s just me, with the faintest glow in my chest.


    Selena squeezes my hand, her smile radiant. "Welcome home, child."


    "What am I supposed to do with this power? Why am I so special?"


    Selena''s expression grows serious. "That is for you to discover, Ava. Your path is your own to walk. But know that you are not alone. There are others like you, others who will guide and support you on your journey."


    "So—not the chosen one with the entire world on her shoulders?"


    Even her laugh is musical. "No. Just a new beginning, returning what was lost."


    She steps back, releasing my hand. "Trust in yourself, Ava Grey. Trust in the magic that flows through you."


    With those final words, Selena fades, her form growing translucent until she vanishes entirely. And as she does, the world around me starts to shimmer and dissolve, the colors blurring together until everything is consumed by a blinding white light.


    I feel myself falling again, tumbling through that endless nothing once again.