She was drowning. The lake pressed in from all sides, cold and unrelenting, as she fought desperately toward the surface. Her limbs flailed against the weight of the water, every kick and stroke weaker than the last. Grief carved deep lines into her face, mingling with the panic surging through her. Her chest burned as the icy grip of exhaustion dragged her down. The last traces of air escaped her lips in a fragile stream of bubbles, rising as her vision blurred and darkened.

  “Mom... Dad... Please... help me...”

  She thought of them. Their faces blurred at the edges, flickering like old photographs. Her father’s steady voice, the warmth of his hand ruffling her hair. Her mother’s soft smile, the scent of jasmine and rain clinging to her clothes. They were there and not there, fading in the way that memories do when you reach for them too hard.

  She didn’t want to forget them. She didn’t want to be alone. But the lake was merciless.

  And no one was coming.

  Her voice was swallowed by the water, the sound reduced to a faint vibration in the endless cold. Panic surged through her chest as the last of her air escaped in fragile streams of bubbles. The lake seemed to mock her struggle, pulling her deeper into its shadowed depths. Her vision blurred, darkness creeping in from all sides. Her body felt heavier, sinking faster as exhaustion overtook her.

  When her back finally struck the lakebed, something shattered. Her chest pulsed with a sudden, luminous force, sending waves of energy rippling outward. Bubbles exploded from her body in violent streams, clashing with the water like two opposing forces colliding. The lakebed itself seemed to ripple in response, folding inward as the bubbles broke apart and re-formed, merging and pushing through one another in a chaotic dance of light and motion.

  Nova’s body flickered, caught between worlds. The solid lines of her form dissolved, turning translucent and radiant. Her outline wavered like liquid light, shimmering in iridescent hues that pulsed with the rhythm of her heartbeat. The collision between her and the lakebed reached a breaking point. In a flash, she was pushed through it—her glowing form slipping through the dense sediment as if it were air.

  She felt herself being carried, weightless, by an unseen force. The lake that had consumed her now seemed to expel her, as if rejecting her presence entirely. Her ethereal body drifted upward and towards the shore, shimmering like a rising star.

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  Nova awoke with a violent gasp, her lungs heaving as she coughed up mouthfuls of bitter, metallic-tasting water. She rolled onto her side, clutching her burning chest as the cold air stung her throat. Her body shivered uncontrollably, her damp clothes clinging to her skin like ice.

  When her eyes finally opened, the world around her was alien and unsettling. Jagged maples stretched skyward, their twisted branches clawing at the fog-drenched sky like skeletal fingers. The ground beneath her was damp and cool, dark green grass brushing against her trembling hands. The air hung thick with mist, swallowing all but the nearest shapes in its pale void.

  Her bag lay beside her, somehow intact. With shaking hands, she reached for it and pulled it close. When she unzipped it, her belongings were dry—her music player, earbuds, and drawing supplies, safe and undamaged. Their familiarity steadied her trembling heart, though her mind still reeled with confusion.

  “W-where am I?” She whispered, her voice cracking.

  She forced herself to stand, wobbling on unsteady legs. The fog clung to her like a heavy veil, muffling her footsteps and obscuring the world around her. Twisted silhouettes of trees loomed in the distance, their jagged forms stark against the ghostly white shroud. With no clear path and nowhere to go, she did the only thing she could—she started walking.

  As she moved, the fog seemed to shift, swirling and churning as though alive. At first, it thickened, pressing closer, the trees vanishing into the haze. But with every hesitant step forward, the suffocating mist began to lighten, loosening its grip on the world. Soon, faint shapes emerged in the distance, and a soft, golden glow broke through the pale murk.

  Colors swirled at the edges of her vision—a kaleidoscope of hues that seemed almost unreal. She blinked, wondering if they were tricks of her exhaustion, but as she pressed on, the fog dissolved entirely, giving way to a breathtaking expanse of multi-colored grass plains stretching toward the horizon.

  In front of her stood a Japanese-style village, nestled against the base of a towering cliffside. An enormous waterfall cascaded down from the cliff, its roaring waters feeding into a vast lake that shimmered like liquid gold under the sunlight. The village stretched out around the lake in peaceful harmony, its wooden houses connected by winding stone paths that meandered gracefully through the settlement.

  At the heart of the village, a grand building stood tall and proud, its curved roof gleaming as though it had been polished just that morning. The intricate details of its architecture, from carved beams to delicate lanterns swaying gently in the breeze, exuded a quiet dignity.

  Nova’s feet moved on their own, slowly carrying her forward.