Claire's eyes fluttered open, but instead of waking up in her room, she found herself in complete darkness. It was the same cold, empty place she'd been to before. The Nowhere.
"Not again," she muttered, her breath visible in the icy air.
She tried to move, but her body felt heavy, like something was weighing her down. Then, she heard it—a soft giggle.
She looked sharply around, but all she could see was black. The giggle came again, louder this time, and then she saw her.
A little girl stood a few feet away, wearing a simple white dress. Her hair was long and dark, her face pale like she hadn't seen the sun in years.
She couldn't have been older than eight or nine, but her eyes—they looked ancient, filled with something far beyond her age.
"Who are you?" Claire asked, her voice shaking.
The girl tilted her head, studying Claire. "You know who I am," she said softly.
"No… I don't."
"Yes, you do!" The girl took a step closer. "I'm the rightful owner of that ring."
