Salvador could no longer feel the ground beneath his feet.
He could not feel the cold stone of the chamber.
He could not hear Felix or Harvey.
He could not even hear his own breathing.
There was only light.
Golden light surrounded him from every direction, flowing around his body like warm water. Ella's hand remained firmly locked in his, and that was the only thing that kept him from believing he had completely disappeared.
"Ella?"
"I'm here."
Her voice sounded distant, but it was steady.
Salvador squeezed her hand.
"Don't let go."
"I won't."
They continued moving forward even though neither of them knew where they were going.
There was no floor.
No ceiling.
No walls.
Yet they were moving.
Then suddenly, the light disappeared.
Salvador opened his eyes.
He was standing in the royal garden.
The same garden he had known since childhood.
The oak tree stood in the center, its branches moving gently in the breeze.
Flowers surrounded it.
Birds sang from the branches.
