Grudge

Consciousness returned in jolting waves, and her surroundings quickly swam into a nauseating blur.

The air was thick with the sickly scent of flowers, and her head throbbed with relentless intensity. She tried to move, but her limbs were heavy and unresponsive, weighed down by an invisible force.

A cold sweat broke out across her skin as she lay sprawled on a cold, hard surface, bathed in the wan light that penetrated the dense canopy of ancient trees overhead.

Fear clawed at her throat, turning to icy dread when the realisation of her surroundings hit her with the force of a tidal wave.

A bitter taste of regret washed over her for ignoring Theo's warnings.

She longed for Theo to appear out of nowhere, just like always. But this time, it seemed like a distant memory in this desolate expanse.

A voice, cold and menacing, slithered out of the shadows. "I've been waiting for this moment."