The spirit realm bled light and shadow in uneven tides. As Aria stepped through the portal, the shift hit her like a blow to the chest. The air here wasn't air—it was memory, sensation, grief, and longing spun into form. Stars flickered in strange colors above, and the ground below was not earth, but glimmering mist that stirred with every heartbeat.
Behind her, Solene and Elena stumbled through the veil, the portal snapping shut with a thunderous crack that echoed across the fractured sky. The Twin Eclipse had begun. The two moons—one gold, one ash-gray—crept closer overhead, pulling the seams of the realm taut.
Aria steadied herself, her gaze snapping to Elena. Her sister looked pale, her eyes glassy, as if the realm itself pressed too tightly against her spirit.
"Elena," Aria called, reaching for her.
Elena flinched back. "Don't," she said quietly, hugging herself. "She's here… inside me. She's watching."
