Sumaya's heart slammed against her ribs, her breath coming in uneven gasps. She turned in a slow, desperate circle, trying to make sense of what had just happened.
The transition had been so sudden, so unnatural—one moment, she had been in the orphanage dormitory, locked in the arms of that strange, sorrowful woman. The next, she was here. Alone, in an unfamiliar yet eerily tranquil place.
Her stomach twisted as her gaze swept over the vast expanse before her. A seemingly endless field stretched into the horizon, the tall grass swaying in golden waves beneath the dying light of the sun. Wildflowers bloomed in scattered bursts of color, their delicate petals trembling in the breeze. The air smelled fresh, untouched, carrying only the quiet hum of the wind.
It was beautiful. Peaceful, even. But something about this place felt… wrong. It was too still. Too silent.
No sounds of life. No distant murmur of the world. Only the whisper of the wind and the occasional rustling of grass.
