Mesmerized, Lara stared into the quiet waters that gurgled around the little embedded stones. The cave was dark, but it was the light from the stream that dimly lit it in blues and reds and violet. She stood entranced for a long while. A desperate voice from a distance trickled her senses, but the attraction to the shimmery beam was intense. She walked closer to the water and peeked over it. She could see her reflection and what she saw startled her. Her eyes had turned violet.

The lights inside moved a little, as if throbbing, as if calling her. She brought her hand over the water and touched the...