Visions

NOVA

Five hours earlier

Asriel held my hand and led me through a dark, narrow alley. Any other day—or rather, any other night—I would be anxious about where we were going, but now, I felt too numb to care. He said that this place would help me heal my pain, and I wanted to believe him.

"We're almost there," he said, pointing at the end of the block.

He led us to an old, creepy-looking building with one steel-enforced door. A sliver of rationality struck me, and I gave him a nervous smile. "Are you sure we came to the right place?"

He smirked and knocked on the steel surface. The door was opened by a six-foot-tall, bulky bouncer. He saw Asriel and instantly bowed so low that he folded in half. Then, without saying a word, he stepped to the side and gestured at us to come in. I gulped and glanced at Asriel. He winked at me and pointed at the dimly lit corridor. "After you," he said.

I took a deep breath and started walking forward. A few steps later, I started to hear a distant mix of d