The chill of the morning air barely registered as Sona stirred, a familiar disorientation clinging to her like a damp cloak. Another dream, vivid yet elusive, had just slipped from her grasp, leaving behind only a faint echo of scales and ancient whispers.

Her mother's insistent calls, a rhythmic banging on the door, finally jolted her awake. "Sona, wake up! You have to be at work on time!" The familiar complaint, a daily symphony, meant there was no more lingering. With a sigh, Sona swung her legs out of bed, the soft carpet a stark contrast to the rough stone she vaguely remembered from her dream.

She padded towards the mirror, a morning ritual she rarely skipped, her reflection a comforting constant. But today, the eyes staring back were not her own. A gasp caught in her throat. Her usually warm brown eyes were now a startling, luminous blue. Panic seized her, a cold dread seeping into her bones. This wasn't just a dream; something was undeniably, terrifyingly different.