C181 WHAT WAS TAKEN DOES NOT STAY LOST

The place Aria landed was not in darkness.

That was the first thing that confused her.

There was light—soft, pale, breathing—like the inside of a pearl. It glowed from the walls, from the floor beneath her bare feet, from the very air she dragged into her lungs. The light pulsed slowly, as though the place itself had a heartbeat.

She stumbled forward and nearly fell.

Strong hands caught her