I was accustomed to the process anytime I fell asleep, so I knew what to expect when the world turned white. I stepped into the blinding ethereal light and waited for the world to change. Right on cue, the light dimmed and twisted into deep crimson hues at my approach. The air crackled with energy, and the faint scent of lavender and smoke made me scrunch my nose. The love/hate relationship I shared with this place gnawed at me. I wafted at the air, trying to brush away the scent, but it persisted, pressing against my mind like a… a parasite. The constraints of daily life meant nothing here and it was too easy to lose yourself here if you weren't careful.
Here we go again, time to expect the bullshit that was incoming. At any moment she would arrive, I just had to wait and she would…
"Ah, Lucian," Morgana purred, her voice echoing around me before she materialized from the shadows. Her crimson robes clung to her form, enhancing her features. "I was beginning to think you'd forgotten about me."
"You know I have no choice in the matter. Mortals need to sleep, and when that happens, I always end up here. Sure, I'm rested and ready to go the next day, but sometimes a normal dream might be a nice change of pace from these games you play."
"Games?" She laughed, the sound delicate and innocent. "You wound me. I've only ever been honest with you."
"Sure," I muttered, crossing my arms to stop my hands from fidgeting. "And I'm here for your honest help, not… whatever this is."
Morgana tilted her head, she had clearly changed her hair since my previous visits, now it hang in dark curls that cascaded over her shoulder as she stepped closer. "Whatever this is? Be careful with your words, my dear. They might make a girl feel unappreciated."
She began to circle me, her movements slow and deliberate. The hem of her robes barely made a sound as it swept across the ground. I forced myself to stay still, to keep my breathing steady.
"You're awfully tense," she teased. "Afraid I'll take something from you? Or is it that you're afraid you might enjoy giving it?"
"I'm not afraid of you," I said sharply, taking a step back. "I'm afraid of losing myself."
Her laughter softened, and for a brief moment, her expression almost seemed… sad. "Oh, Lucian," she said, her tone mocking but quieter now, "you poor, sweet fool. That's not something I can take. You have to give it away willingly."
I took a minute to ponder this, reflecting on my past few experiences. I don't think I ever told her told her to stop, though it's all kind of hazy. I didn't always have control over myself; was that the same thing? It was all so conflicting for me.
Morgana sighed dramatically, pressing a hand to her chest as if I'd gravely offended her. "Fine. You're no fun, but I'll play nice, this time anyway." She paused, and her lips curved into a sly smile. "No price today. Think of it as a gift. A small boon for your bravery, or your stupidity. Whichever fits."
She extended her hand, and a faint glow formed in her palm. I hesitated, but I knew there was no other option.
Reaching out, I touched her hand. The moment our skin made contact, power surged through me. My muscles burned with newfound strength, my senses sharpened, and a fire lit in my core that left me breathless.
Morgana's fingers lingered for a moment longer than necessary, and when I pulled my hand back, her smirk deepened. "There," she said, stepping away. "A little something to keep you alive. Do try not to waste it, you've lasted so much longer than the others."
I clenched my fists, trying to anchor myself as the rush of power settled. "Thank you… Wait, the others?"
Her laughter came again, soft and cruel. "Oh, don't thank me yet, Lucian. You never know when I'll come to collect," she replied, completely disregarding the second part.
"See! More games, I can never let my guard down in here, this is supposed to be the one time out of the day that I don't have to worry about predators, but it seems like I can never escape them!" My voice started to rise as I let my emotions get the better of me. Perhaps that was a good thing, instead of just cowering and letting her abuse me.
Morgana sighed, the sound melodramatic and edged with a kind of feigned disappointment that set me on edge. "Always so serious," she murmured, shaking her head. "It's no wonder you're so… tense. Life would be far easier if you simply allowed yourself to enjoy it, you know."
I clenched my jaw, holding her gaze. "I don't have the luxury of enjoying anything. There's too much at stake, if I am to complete your grand scheme and carve out some kind of life for myself, I need to survive."
Her emerald eyes narrowed, and the smirk on her lips softened into something more enigmatic. "Too much at stake? You act as though the weight of the world rests on your shoulders alone. Tell me, Lucian, when did you decide you couldn't lean on anyone? When did you start believing you had to carry all of this yourself?"
I stiffened. "When every time I meet you it feels like I'm being manipulated. Besides, I'm not here for a lecture on my mental health."
"Oh, but you're always so fascinating to unravel," she countered, stepping closer. Her presence was enticing, even when I wanted to recoil. "Your concerns are like little threads, tangled and frayed, but still holding you together. It's… endearing, in a way."
"Morgana," I said sharply, willing myself not to step back. "I don't need your psychoanalysis, just your help, your support to keep me alive."
She stopped just short of invading my space, her expression unreadable. "Help," she echoed, the word rolling off her tongue like silk. "Don't worry, don't worry, you have my assistance. I apologize for making you feel this way. Life is rather droll for me in my domain, a lot of visitors but no one ever stays, they're always passing through. So, when I get my hands on someone like you, someone who will keep coming back, I can't resist playing with you. For the life of me, I can't imagine why you'd resist a bit of pleasure after so much pain."
"Because I know what it costs," I snapped, more forcefully than I intended. "Every time I come here, I leave feeling like a piece of me is missing. Like you've carved away at my soul just for fun."
Her face softened, and for a moment, I thought I saw something genuine flicker in her eyes. Concern, maybe. Or pity. "Lucian," she said softly, her teasing tone momentarily absent, "I've never taken anything from you that you didn't offer freely. The real danger here isn't me. It's your fear. You say you want to live, but you're afraid of living."
I hesitated. "And you're saying you're not responsible for that?"
"I'm saying," she said, her smirk returning, "that I don't need to steal anything from you. I think it's a matter of you getting used to your situation, but I could be wrong." her lips were scrunched up in disappointment as she pondered something.
"Tell you what, no more advances, I'll just wait here longingly, but the invitation is always open. I can't say I won't tease you, and I can't say I won't toy with you a little, but you can tell me when you're ready. How's that sound?" it was kind of eerie to hear her talk like a normal person. I liked it, but it felt like a disguise, and with all of her previous manipulation, I wasn't about to believe her.
With a deep sigh, I let my frustrations go for the moment. "Thank you" I replied, a little less than enthusiastically.
"I know one way you can thank me, little piglet," and she was back at it. I met her comment with a glare and she huffed.
"Fine, fine," she said, "We can end it here, you can go back to your little life as an uncoordinated piglet, and we will meet again when you grow stronger. Does that sound alright to you?" she asked.
"That works for me. Don't forget about what you said."
"I wouldn't dare. Toodles Lucian, I'm dying for our next meeting."
"Ha…ha…ha" I muttered.
"One last thing dear," she called out as I rolled my eyes in irritation. You might not want to dilly dally this morning, it seems you have company" she winked before twirling around to walk off into the void.
The snapping of a branch echoed through my head as everything went back. I awoke with a start and glanced around frantically as I was bombarded with system messages. I would have to check them later, I doubt she was just fucking with me about that warning.
It was still early and the birds were only just waking up, or they should be anyway, it was so quiet that something had to be wrong. I rose to my feet and twisted and turned about, trying to figure out which way to run. I didn't need to fight what was coming, but I'd be damned if I was going to charge frantically right into its jaws, or claws, or whatever they would be.
I breifly noticed a flicker of movement, like the shadows of the trees were shifting. Everything was still pretty dark, the sun was yet to peek above the horizon, but the orange light had already begun to push back the oppressive night. My heart was beating out of my chest at this point and I knew I would never figure this out if I continued to panic.
With a couple of snorts, I tried to steady my breathing. I decided to use my nose and sniff out the intruder. I filtered through the cacophony of aromas until one stood out. It smelled like a cat? A cat… Fuck!
Two yellow eyes peered at me from the shadows. Like, they were literally the only thing I could see, no semblance of a form, that is until it leapt at me. I immediately turned to flee in the opposite direction and to my abject horror, what looked like the same beast was already sailing through the air from the opposite direction, heading right for me. I thought maybe they hunted in pairs or packs, but my thoughts rapidly came to a halt as it tackled me to the ground, jerked its head, and broke my neck.