In the heart of a desolate desert, a girl wakes up alone in the middle of a road, her mind clouded with confusion. As she searches for answers and a way out, she stumbles upon a seemingly abandoned gas station that holds the promise of salvation-or...
A steady thrum echoed in the back of her mind, pulsing through the quiet darkness like the beat of a faraway drum. Her world was still—a heavy, dreamless sleep. For a moment, she felt peaceful, weightless, as though she were floating just beneath the surface of consciousness. Her eyes remained closed, the soft blur of sleep pressing against them.
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Then something changed.
Her eyelids fluttered. A cool breeze brushed against her skin, carrying with it a sharp, earthy scent. Slowly, almost unwillingly, her eyes opened.
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She blinked against the brightness, the blur fading into something sharper, more real. Her heart began to race as she realized she wasn't lying in a bed or some safe, familiar place.
No. She was on the middle of a road.
Her fingers pressed against the rough, cold asphalt, and she shot up into a sitting position, a panic rising in her chest. Her head throbbed, confusion thick in her mind.
Where was she? Why was she here?
She tilted her head back, eyes squinting at the sky, and saw it. A pale, dawn sky, painted in shades of gold and purple. Four vultures circled high above her, their dark silhouettes twisting in the air like ominous signs.
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Her breath caught in her throat.
Her legs trembled as she pushed herself to stand, the roughness of the asphalt scratching against her palms. Her body felt heavy, her limbs aching as though she had been lying there for hours—days even. Wobbling at first, she planted her feet firmly on the cracked road, the warmth of it rising through the soles of her shoes, even in the cool morning air.
