Airam’s alarm buzzed softly at 7:30, stirring her from the comfort of her oversized bed. She pushed back the thick, quilted duvet and sat up, the early morning light slipping through the partially drawn curtains. A glance at her sleek nightstand reminded her of the list of things she had to catch up on. It had been a few days since the storm, and though she’d been away, Dahlia had kept her updated on schoolwork through quick texts. Airam stretched as she made her way to her bathroom, her feet brushing against the soft rug beneath her. The cool tile greeted her as she stepped inside, the spacious shower in the corner reflecting the warm glow of the vanity lights. The warm water cascaded over Airam's skin, its gentle heat easing the lingering tension in her shoulders. Her thoughts drifted to the strange colors she’d seen surrounding her mother at the hospital—shimmering hues that seemed to pulse and shift, though no one else appeared to notice them. She’d brushed it off at first, but over the past few days at home, things had only gotten stranger.

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Her mind seemed to slip away at times, leaving her disoriented when she came to. During these blackouts, vivid images filled her head—memories that weren’t hers but felt unbearably real, as if she had lived them. She could feel the weight of them, smell the air, hear distant voices she couldn’t recognize. When she snapped back to herself, she was often somewhere unexpected—a lakeside she didn’t remember walking to or, once, just inches away from stepping into oncoming traffic. The visions left her shaken, their intensity so overwhelming she wasn’t sure where they ended and she began.

As she stood under the steady stream of water, she closed her eyes, trying to will the memories away, but a strange pull lingered, as if something unseen was calling her back into that otherworldly haze.