Rhys felt the world shrink around him.
The air burned in his lungs. He couldn't see it, but he knew the dark creature had caught them all. He felt the warmth of Eun-woo trembling beside him, and the fragile weight of Rong Ye in his arms. Jess's body had collapsed a few feet away, and Caelan... he wasn't sure. Maybe he'd fallen farther. Maybe he wasn't breathing anymore.
He couldn't hear anything. Only that constant, wet hum, as if they were underwater, and the wild pounding of his own heart.
Maybe Jae managed to get out…
And then, a white light enveloped everything. It wasn't a bright light, but in the midst of so much darkness, it was like looking at the sun for the first time.
Then, time seemed to stop.
The weight on his chest disappeared. The pressure that had been suffocating him evaporated. The sounds ceased. He no longer felt the ground, Eun-woo, or Rong Ye.
He was alone.
