The moment my eyes closed and sleep took over, the world shifted instantly. The comfortable warmth of my bed dissolved into an ice-cold, heavy mist, suffocatingly thick with the smell of damp earth and decayed leaves.
I felt the pull deep in my chest. A dream.
I clamped down on my internal magic, forcing my face into a mask of panic to play the part.
"How?" I gasped out loud, taking a dramatic, stumbling step backward into the mist.
From the swirling shadows ahead, a familiar figure materialized. My father stepped forward, his posture rigid, though his aura flickered unevenly—a telltale sign that he was still far from fully healed.
I forced my eyes to widen in shock, glaring at him with crafted venom. "I hoped I killed you... since I haven't heard anything from you."
He let out a ras
