Chapter 55 The Awakening ofPower

　　Darkness. Then a rush of cold air. 　　The scent of pine and damp earth filled my nostrils as I gasped awake, my pulse hammering in my ears. My body trembled as I took in my surroundings. Tall trees loomed over me, their twisted branches forming jagged shapes against the starless sky. 　　I wasn’t in my bed. I wasn’t in my house. 　　I stood barefoot in the middle of the woods, my toes sinking into the wet soil. The night air bit at my skin, my thin pajamas offering no warmth. My breath came in short, panicked gasps as I turned in circles, searching for any sign of familiarity. Nothing. Only silence. An unnatural silence, as if the forest itself was holding its breath. 　　A blackout. Again. 　　The third one this week. 　　Terror coiled around my ribs, squeezing tight. My hands shook as I pressed them against my temples, willing myself to remember. But my mind was empty—a vast, gaping void where my memories should have been. One moment, I had been in my room. The next, I was here. How? 　　A rust