Aria’s POV
My eyes fluttered open, then shut again, then slowly opened once more.
White.
Everything around me was white. Endless. Blinding. Pure.
No trees. No sky. No earth beneath my feet.
Just white.
“Hello?” I called out.
My voice echoed loudly, stretching far beyond me as if the world itself was answering.
“Where am I?” I whispered, yet even my whisper returned to me like a roar.
Then a voice answered.
“Hello…”
It was soft, yet powerful. Familiar.
My heart stilled.
I turned.
And my breath caught.
“Mother…”
The word broke from my lips as I ran toward her without thinking.
She stood there, glowing, her skin smooth, her face young and radiant. Time had not touched her. If anything, she looked even more alive than I remembered.
I threw myself into her arms.
“Mother!” I c
