As the unfamiliar voice reached his ears, Alex's eyes opened instantly.
The remnants of sleep disappeared in an instant, replaced by cold, razor-sharp awareness. He sat up slowly on the bed, every movement controlled and deliberate — the reaction of someone whose instincts had been tempered through countless life-and-death battles.
Silence followed.
Then—
As he heard the unknown voice again, the air in front of him distorted.
Space rippled gently, like the surface of a lake struck by an invisible stone. The temperature dropped slightly. The faint scent of iron filled the air.
Alex slowly lifted his head from the pillow, eyes half-lidded with irritation.
'Please don't be a ghost.'
Dark particles began gathering at the center of the room. They swirled slowly at first, then faster—compressing inward, folding into themselves. A silhouette formed within the vortex.
First a shadow.
Then a shape.
Then a woman.
