#Chapter 284: Return to the Sea of Souls

Ella’s POV I woke to the sound of screaming. I sat up, disoriented, and found myself sitting on familiar cold stone. The cliff. Dark, jagged rocks beneath me. Storm clouds roiling overhead. A sickly green glow emanating from below. I scrambled to my feet and looked down over the edge, and there it was: the sea of souls. Writhing, churning, an endless mass of tormented spirits reaching upward with translucent hands before being dragged back under by the millions of others trapped there. I knew I wasn’t dead, of course. I was still alive; the crystal was warm in my chest, pulsing like an artificial heartbeat. But why was I here? “Hello?” I called out. My voice was swallowed by the wind and the screaming below. There was no answer. I wrapped my arms around myself, shivering, and took a step away from the edge. I bit my lip and looked around. Maybe there was a way out. Or maybe… That was when I heard it. That… voice. Soft. Calm.