The ritual

Suddenly, the darkness around her dispersed, vanishing into thin, dark particles.

 'What?!' Emma thought, her eyes widening in shock. 

For a brief moment, she remained completely still, her breathing shallow.

The suffocating void that had surrounded her just seconds ago was gone, replaced by something far more… ordinary.

 It was a cave, though a part of her had already expected this. 

 The cave was small, dark and empty, nothing like the one she remembered entering. 

The rough, uneven walls loomed around her, their surfaces stained with dirt and grime. 

 The air was thick with the stench of dampness, mingling with something far less pleasant—a foul, rotting odor that made her nose wrinkle in disgust.

Her gaze swept over the surroundings, taking in every detail with careful precision.

Scattered across the ground were several dried, dirty rags—or at least, that's what they looked like at first glance.