Inside the illusion, Mirek heard her.
At first, the sound did not make sense.
It came faintly, threading through the heavy pressure that surrounded him, slipping between each strained breath he forced into his lungs. The voice was familiar, too familiar, and for a moment, he did not trust it.
His jaw tightened.
The weight pressing down on his body increased again, forcing his shoulders lower. His legs trembled under the strain, his muscles pulling tight as he tried to remain standing.
"…It's not real… it's an illusion…"
The words reached him more clearly this time.
Mirek's eyes narrowed slightly as he stared ahead at the corridor, at Lavayla's figure walking further away from him without pause. She did not turn.
Everything in front of him remained unchanged.
His hand clenched tighter, fresh blood slipping from his palm and dripping down his fingers.
An illusion.
