Prologue

When it was all over, I stood in the middle of the ashes. He attacked first, and I didn't have the strength to even look his way.

Revival

Darkness and cold enveloped me as I came to. My eyes... I couldn’t open them. No, I couldn’t—something was pressing down on my eyelids, taking away my sight.

"Shit, I'm underwater!"—a panic-stricken thought pierced my mind.

I tried to break free and swim up, but instead of air, only water rushed down my throat, filling my lungs. Every movement drained me, my strength slipping away like sand through my fingers. My consciousness blurred, but with a desperate lunge, I broke the surface. The thunder of the heavens tore through the silence. Lightning flashes briefly revealed the chaotic world around me: stormy waves, an impenetrable night, endless sea. I didn’t know where to swim. I didn’t know how to tame the storm. The waves tossed me back and forth, each crash pulling me back into the depths.

And then, amidst the chaos, I saw the light. Bright, inviting, almost unreal. A beacon? Or my imagination, born from desperation? It didn’t matter. It was a chance. A chance to survive. I swam. With every stroke, fighting pain and fear, I swam until the darkness claimed me once more.

When I opened my eyes, I was lying in a small room with gray walls and a tiny window. It seemed like dawn outside. At first, I thought maybe it was all a dream, that I was starting to wake up in my bed, but realizing my pajamas were soaked, and the contours of the room were becoming more unfamiliar in the dim light, I jumped out of bed.

"Damn it, Elizabeth!" I cursed aloud, feeling my head spin from the sudden movement. My legs wobbled, my body staggered as though the ground beneath me was as shaky as sand.

I didn’t understand where I was, but one thing was clear— I had to get out. Carefully cracking open the door, I stepped into the corridor. Cold walls drowned in half-light, with the faintest touch of light brushing against the corners. A deathly silence pressed on my ears, making each step almost deafening. My gaze skimmed across the endless row of doors and arches. No one. Just me and this infinitely long corridor. I tried the doors one by one, but they were either locked or led to empty rooms. Finally, after several failed attempts, I found the right turn. A narrow staircase leading down, the creak of each step sounded like someone’s whisper in the silence.

I finally found the exit. Massive steel doors creaked as they opened, releasing me outside. It was still dawn, but the sky was already covered in heavy gray clouds—the day promised to be cold and dreary. There was no one around, only the cawing of crows flying nearby disturbed the silence. Looking back, I saw a small house, though I could swear the inside was vast. Before me stretched a spacious yard adorned with statues and intricate decorative elements. Among the dense vegetation stood a majestic fountain, its water streams quietly gurgling, dispersing the morning silence. I was looking for an exit, but it wasn’t there—beyond the yard began an impenetrable, dark forest, through which I couldn’t possibly make my way.

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Only one thing left—I had to walk around the building, hoping to find another way. I wandered for at least half an hour, when suddenly I heard the faint sound of water.

"Here it is, my salvation!" I exclaimed aloud, forgetting my fear.

I pushed through the bushes and froze. Before me unfolded a majestic scene: an old castle towered over dark water, its high spires disappearing into the morning fog. Its gray walls, cracked and moss-covered, seemed as old as the world itself, yet strong and unshakable.

The water at its base was calm but ominous, reflecting the stone spires as if luring a traveler into its depths. The forest around stood silent and watchful, as if observing every one of my movements. Somewhere in the branches, a crow cawed, and that sharp sound made me flinch.

"What is this place?" I whispered, feeling my heart tighten with cold anxiety.

The castle called, it beckoned, but at the same time, it evoked a strange, undefined unease. Was it a sanctuary? Or a trap?

As if enchanted, I stepped closer to the vast lake. Thoughts swirled in my head, anxiety gripped my chest—why was I walking toward it? But my body wouldn’t listen. My legs moved forward on their own, as though obeying someone else’s will. I tried to stop, fighting with all my might, but it was in vain. I wanted to scream, but couldn’t—my lips were numb, as if invisible threads had sealed them shut. Is this a dream? Or the end? The last flash of consciousness—and now I was in the water. No shallow water, no gentle slope—just the instant, infinite depth.

Darkness. Cold. When will this end? I won’t give up. I won’t let the water swallow me.

With all my strength, I tried to swim, but got tangled in seaweed. It coiled around me, holding me, pulling me down. Just a little longer, and they would have crushed my throat... but then something grabbed my shoulder and yanked me out of the water. Lying on my back, I desperately sucked in air, my own ragged breathing deafening in my ears.

-  You’re strong. I underestimated you, - a male voice said.

I flinched and, propping myself on my elbows, looked around. A few meters behind me stood a guy. He leaned lazily against a tree, his arms crossed over his chest. His gaze was unreadable, a mix of either mockery or irritation.

- Are you just going to stare? - he snapped. - Get up, we have a lot to do.

Without waiting for an answer, he turned and walked along the shore, as if certain I would follow him.

- Wait... - I hoarsely called after him.

Shaking, I got up, almost falling, and stumbled to catch up with him.

I caught up with him at the edge of the forest, barely catching my breath.

- Wait...- my voice was still hoarse, but I forced myself to speak. - Where am I? What is this place?

He didn’t even glance at me, just smirked and kept walking, as if my questions were just empty noise.

- You’ll understand soon.

- Soon?!- I grabbed his wrist, forcing him to stop. - I was just drowning! Did you pull me out to leave me in... wherever this is?

He finally turned his head toward me. In his eyes reflected the misty light of dawn, but his expression remained impenetrable.

- You’re not dead, if that’s what you’re asking, - he said, as if reading my mind.

I gritted my teeth.

- Then what happened to me?

He leaned closer, his voice soft, almost mocking:

- You’re not dead. You were reborn.

For a moment, everything around became too quiet. Only the rustle of leaves and the distant splash of water behind us.

- What? - I whispered, but he had already turned away and started walking again.

I could have stood still, trying to make sense of his words. But something inside told me that if I wanted to know the truth, I’d have to follow him.

And so I went.