Ava awoke with a start, her body stiff and cold against the forest floor. Sunlight filtered through the canopy, casting dappled shadows across her face. She sat up, her head throbbing and her mind clouded with disjointed memories. What had happened last night? The events were a blur, fragments of panic and fear slipping through her grasp like sand.
She pushed herself up, trying to shake off the fog in her head. The forest around her was eerily quiet, the only sound being the rustling of leaves in the gentle breeze. Ava wandered through the woods for hours, her steps growing more aimless as the day wore on. She saw no sign of the village, the group of people she had been tracking, or even a hint of civilization. It was as if she had been cast adrift in an endless sea of trees.
As she walked, Ava's thoughts turned inward. What was happening to her? Why did she keep blacking out? Was this connected to her powers? She began to question everything she had assumed about herself. Was this the reason why Finn had come to get her? Why the Upper 6 were interested in her? Or was there something she was supposed to do, something she hadn't figured out yet? Or something she was going to do that they wanted to prevent?
The night fell, and Ava made the decision to set up camp. Exhausted and disoriented, she struggled to gather wood and build a fire. Her body felt weak, and the dizziness that had been creeping up on her all day now made her feel faint. She realized she hadn't eaten and her stomach growled in protest.
Her efforts to find water had been fruitless until she finally stumbled upon a small, trickling stream. The relief of the cool, fresh water was momentary, as the exhaustion and disorientation persisted. She collapsed near the stream, her body demanding rest.
Just as she was beginning to drift off, she heard footsteps approaching. Her instincts kicked in, but her strength was waning. She barely managed to turn around before a man emerged from the trees. His appearance startled her, and she took a defensive stance, but her fatigue made her movements sluggish.
"Whoa, easy," the man said, his voice calm and soothing. "I've got some food here. I thought you might need it."
Ava's instincts screamed that something was off, but her body was too weak to respond. Her mind was foggy, and she couldn't muster the strength to fight or flee. She stood still, her gaze fixed on the man with growing unease. The man held out a package of food, but Ava didn't reach for it. Instead, she tried to gather her thoughts, hoping to come up with a plan, but her mind felt like it was slipping away.
The man's presence was unsettling, and Ava felt a shiver run down her spine. Her vision blurred, and she felt herself sinking into darkness. The last thing she heard was the distant sound of screams, echoing through her mind as she succumbed to the overwhelming fatigue and fear.
As Ava fell into the void, her last conscious thought was a desperate plea for understanding, for clarity in the chaos that had engulfed her.
