C76 THE REALM BETWEEN THE FLAME

The world smelled like rain and ashes as Elara woke up.

She slowly opened her eyes. Her heartbeat echoed in the deep silence, which felt like it was sacred. The valley she remembered was gone. In its stead was a vast plain of shimmering light and floating embers, hanging between day and night.

No sky.

There is no Earth.

Just a vista that breathed.

She sat up and touched the ground