Z land

Previously

…Then, a feeling – a dizzying ascent, a sense of being held aloft, followed by a terrifying drop. My heart hammered against my ribs, a frantic bird trapped in a cage. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to anchor myself in the present, in the familiar musty smell of the mushroom. “Jackson?” Elara’s humming stopped. Her voice was a low murmur, laced with concern. “You’re trembling.” I forced my eyes open, blinking against the lingering afterimages. “Just… a headache,” I lied, my voice raspy. The truth felt too fragile, too dangerous to articulate. How could I explain these phantom memories, these echoes of a life that seemed to exist just beyond the edge of my awareness