Falling felt endless. Ayla braced for impact, but instead of crashing, she floated. The dark swallowed her, weightless, soundless, until she touched solid ground. It was grass.Warm wind brushed her face, carrying the scent of rain and sunlight. When she opened her eyes, the world had changed again.They stood in a meadow under a silver sky. Rolling hills shimmered like watercolor, and the air hummed softly, as if the world itself was breathing.Spike landed beside her, knees hitting the ground. He looked around, dazed. “Where… is this?”Ayla helped him up. “You tell me. It’s your mind.”He turned slowly in place. “No. This, this isn’t a memory. It’s too… quiet.”“Maybe it’s where your memories go to rest,” she said.“Or to hide.”They started walking. Each step left faint ripples in the grass, as though they were walking across a thin layer of water. In the distance stood a single tree, tall, ancient, glowing faintly from within.Ayla pointed. “That’s where it wants us to go.”“Or wh