Chapter 578 - Unraveling at the Seams

The vision snapped away like a blade severing a thread, and for one disorienting moment, I wasn't sure if the world around me had stabilized or if I'd merely fallen into a quieter illusion. I tasted dust in the back of my throat, metallic and bitter. My breath came in sharp, controlled exhales, though the shapes crowding my peripheral vision still wavered, as if they couldn't decide whether they were part of this reality or the next one over. The more I blinked, the more I realized the land itself wasn't certain I belonged here. It reminded me, uncomfortably, of the Ashen Expanse—an environment that tested every step, every breath, every stray thought.