The darkness gave way to starlight, and that to threads of color and sound that entwined me, drawing me into a vision. I inwardly groaned, watching with some irritation as a city formed around me. At least a vision meant I was still alive. With any luck, Selena was too.
The city was strangely familiar, but no name came to mind. The buildings were half-timber, with gray stone foundations and off-white, speckled plaster. The windows were cracked, the eaves bowed, and the walls sagged. Some of the smaller homes leaned unsteadily to one side, all in the same direction, as if a hurricane had blown through. Underfoot, the streets were cobblestone, but the rocks were sharp and uneven, with over half of them being submerged beneath mud and earth.
The trees and plants were yellow and brittle. Brown leaves littered the gutters, rising and falling with a brisk autumn breeze. The sun's light was cold and dim, casting long shadows despite the early hour.
