Bound By Shadows

Chapter 1: Echoes of Another World

The wind howled through the darkened sky, carrying whispers that only she could hear. Giana stood on the edge of a cliff, her bare feet gripping the rough stone as she peered into the churning sea below. Far below, waves crashed against the rocks like thunder, but it wasn't the ocean that drew her attention—it was the figures looming in the distance.

Gargoyles.

Massive, stone-skinned creatures with wings stretching across the sky, their sharp eyes glowing faintly in the night. Behind them, a host of others—creatures she could barely describe—hovered, waiting. A wolf with eyes like embers, a mermaid's tail slapping the water, and in the sky above, a woman who seemed to control the very air.

They were watching her, waiting for something. Waiting for her.

"Giana..."

The voice, deep and desperate, called from behind her. She spun around to see a figure in the shadows, but before she could reach him, the ground shifted beneath her feet. The cliff crumbled away, and she was falling—falling into the depths, the creatures disappearing above her, the voice growing faint.

Then, everything went black.

Giana jolted awake, her breath catching in her throat. The familiar weight of her blanket felt strange against her skin, and the dim light filtering through the blinds was a far cry from the dark, haunting world she had just been in.

Another dream.

Her heart still pounded as she rubbed her eyes and sat up in bed, trying to shake the lingering images from her mind. It was always the same—the cliffs, the creatures, and that voice calling her name. A voice that, in the waking world, she had never heard before.

"Giana, are you up?" Her mother's voice drifted from downstairs, a gentle reminder that this world was real, that there were no gargoyles or strange creatures waiting for her beyond the bedroom door. But even as she swung her legs out of bed, Giana couldn't help but feel like the dream had meant something more.

The Hiking Trip

Later that day, Giana found herself in the back seat of her family's truck, her hiking boots tapping anxiously against the floor as they drove through winding mountain roads. Her parents, Maggie and Sam, sat up front, chatting excitedly about the hike ahead.

"Did you know there's a cave up there?" Sam said, turning to Maggie. "I read it has some of the oldest carvings in the state."

Maggie laughed softly. "That's why we brought the camera, right?"

Giana stared out the window, half-listening to their conversation. The dreams had been getting stronger lately, and she hadn't told her parents about them. It was silly, she told herself. They were just dreams—nothing more. But deep down, she knew there was something... off about them. Something that made her feel like the world she lived in wasn't the only one that existed.

As they arrived at the trailhead, Giana strapped on her backpack and adjusted her boots, her eyes drifting toward the dense forest ahead. The hike was supposed to be fun, but today, something felt different. There was a strange energy in the air, something she couldn't quite place.

The Cave Discovery

Hours later, as the sun began to set and their legs grew tired from the long hike, they reached the entrance of the cave. Sam whistled low under his breath, impressed by the sheer size of it.

"Look at that," he said, pointing to the opening. "You can see carvings from here."

Giana's pulse quickened. She approached the cave slowly, her eyes scanning the walls. There, etched into the stone, were figures—creatures that looked eerily similar to the ones from her dreams. Gargoyles, wolves, and something that looked like it could control the wind.

Her hand moved before she realized what she was doing. She reached out, fingers brushing the ancient carving of a winged creature. The moment her skin made contact, a shock ran through her—a pulse of energy that made her stumble back.

And then, the cave shifted. The ground beneath her feet swayed, and the air grew thick. For a moment, the world blurred, the forest fading into darkness. She heard a deep, familiar voice.

"Giana..."

It was the same voice from her dreams. The same voice that had been calling to her for as long as she could remember.

Suddenly, the world around her twisted. The cave, her parents, the forest—all of it disappeared, and Giana felt herself being pulled into something else. Another world.

And then, everything went dark.