Su Ruanruan's consciousness seemed to be sinking into icy water. Her last clear memory was of the cold tile floor in the office break room at three in the morning.
She had revised the project proposal on her computer for the third time. The dense spreadsheets made her eyes blur, and her temples throbbed. Rubbing her aching forehead, she got up to pour herself some hot water and wash away her exhaustion. But just as she took a step, her legs suddenly gave way. The white water dispenser before her eyes warped into a blurry black shadow, and the next moment, a feeling of weightlessness swept over her, along with a bone-deep chill. When she opened her eyes again, the air filling her nostrils smelled not of familiar coffee, but of damp rotting leaves mixed with the pungent scent of plants.
“Hiss…”
