The world around us shimmered, a surreal expanse of gold and violet that defied logic. Islands of stone floated above waterfalls that cascaded upward, and the air hummed with a strange resonance, like time itself was breathing. I pressed against Dante, his presence grounding me in a reality that seemed increasingly impossible.

“Isabella,” Dante murmured, his lips brushing my temple, “we’re not out of this yet. That hourglass…it’s not done with us. Not even close.”

I nodded, my fingers intertwining with his. “I know,” I whispered. The pulsing warmth of his hand through mine was the only tether to sanity I had. “But we’ll face it. Together.”

Our steps echoed...