[POV: Solenne]
Solenne was swallowed into a profound and disquieting dream.
The world around her was pale, desaturated—stripped of color, as if time had bled it dry. She stood barefoot in a garden of what seemed to be salt.
Fragile and glassy ground cracked beneath her steps, glittering faintly under a cold, indifferent sun. Above her, the sky stretched empty. There were no clouds or wind… no signs of life.
Only monolithic, crumbling pillars. Thirteen of them were arranged in a perfect circle, yet one stood taller than the rest.
Its shadow fell across her like a shroud, and at its base was a throne of antlers and obsidian, tangled with thorned vines. It sat empty.
She turned to face it, then turned again… and again… but no matter which direction she looked, the throne was always behind her. It was unnerving and ominous.
"You shouldn't be here."
The words weren't spoken aloud; they didn't echo in her ears. The voice simply existed—a presence carved from sorrow and shadow.
