Elisabeth's POV
A sharp intake of breath escaped my lips as my eyes flew open, the world spinning into focus around me. Everything felt wrong, disoriented, like waking from a dream that clung too tightly to reality. I blinked hard, trying to clear the fog from my vision, but the chill that settled over me had nothing to do with temperature.
Slowly, I pushed myself upright, feeling rough pavement scrape against my palms. The ground beneath me was cold and unforgiving. As my surroundings came into view, my stomach dropped. I stood in the center of an empty street that stretched endlessly in both directions, lined with houses that made my blood run cold.
Each house was identical. Perfect replicas of my parents' mansion, down to every architectural detail. The tall windows, the manicured hedges, the imposing front doors - all arranged in neat, ghostly rows that disappeared into the distance like a fever dream of my childhood.
