Veronica's eyes fluttered open.
She found herself lying on cool black stone. The air was warm, carrying the faint scent of smoke and something earthy, like damp soil after rain. The sky above wasn't blue, but a soft reddish hue, glowing faintly as if lit by distant embers. Strange flowers with dark petals grew from cracks in the ground, giving the place an oddly dreamlike beauty rather than outright horror.
Where am I now? Another illusion?
She sat up slowly, blinking. That was when she noticed the shadows moving around her.
Several beasts surrounded her—creatures that would have been terrifying anywhere else. A wolf-like beast with two tails, its eyes glowing faintly gold. A hulking, armored demon beast with curved horns, standing silently like a guard. Winged creatures perched quietly on jagged rocks, their wings folding neatly against their backs.
