"Maya…" I mumbled under my breath.
I didn't know why, but the air felt heavy at that moment. The way Maya appeared so casually, as usual, wasn't supposed to feel strange… and yet I couldn't shake the unease creeping up my spine.
"How are you, Miss Vale?"
Maya asked, her voice low and lacking the usual cheerfulness.
"Well… surviving?" I answered shortly.
"What is happening?" I asked again, my voice tightening. "I mean…" I drew in a shaky breath. "How did I end up somewhere like a prison… when I was supposed to die?"
There was a pause.
Too long for a system.
"You should be grateful," Maya replied quietly. "Very few people get a second chance like this."
My fingers clenched.
Grateful?
"That doesn't answer my question," I said softly. "I mean… isn't it counted as me sacrificing myself for my loved one?"
My voice cracked just a little before hardening. "And I was supposed to return to my world. Not get stuck in that damn place."
