In the deepest void, where nothing goes on forever, there is a gleaming pillar of light shining against the nothing, as if to spite the its nonexistence. Atop the peak of this shining pillar, an image crafted in stained glass of a lone girl falling, or perhaps rising, with stars encircling her in varied cool color. The sky and a blue sea closing in upon each other until it becomes one in a deep nightly blue.

The pillar stood tall, as if reaching out to a sky absent in the void, but as it held itself up, a light gleamed from above and girl emerged, falling down, down, down through the emptiness. Her descent as gentle and steady as a feather as her form righted itself towards the end of her plunge. The moment her small feet touched the top of the pillar, she awakened. Vivid magenta eyes flicked all around, her head swaying left and right, observing everything and every-nothing surrounding her.

"Where...am I?" The girl immediately inquired to herself as to why she'd asked such a thing aloud. There was no one present, no one to answer. She accepted that fact fairly quickly and instead took to admiring the mural of which she stood upon, wondering how it could've been created and who made it.

Steel yourself…

She gazed up from the mural just in time to pounce out of the way of a solid black creature with glowing yellow eyes. Its eye followed her movement, the creature's small body jittering as it followed her movements somewhat lazily.

You must endure,

Be swift,

And strike!

Just as the tiny creature readied itself to leap again, a bright flash of light emerged from the mural, seeming to spook the creature, as it seeped into the surface and crawled off the peak of the pillar. From the light, three pedestals now stood, each one carrying an armament. First, a sword, the glow from the mural reflected off its blade. Second, a shield, one that could protect her from blows for a third of her body, and sturdy to boot. Third, a staff, nothing particularly deadly about it, but the rod emanating a sense of untapped power.

As the glow dimmed, the creature returned, accompanied by a few more identical creatures. Thinking fast, she rushed for the sword, wrapping her delicate fingers around the hilt and pulling it from the pedestal, holding it close to her. As the first creature leaped at her, claws ready to maul her, she took a wide swing and cleaved it in half, the heavy blade spinning her around afterwards.

As she attempted to right her balance, she felt a burning sensation in her back and retaliated with a blind swing, lopping the shadowy monster's arm off and grazing its head. Once she'd managed to steady herself and recover from the attack, she brought the blade down on the monster's head, felling it into a black mist. Just three more! One stepped forward with a swing of its claws, while another hopped into the air to maul her. The girl jumped back before swinging at the former, slashing it in the torso, her light body taking a spin once more. However, as the creatures came into her line of sight again, she used the momentum to butcher the latter monster with a diagonal strike, the tip of the blade impacting the surface and sending the shadowy figure into nothing. Lifting the blade up with a bit of effort, she lifted the blade overhead, took a step forward, and brought her mighty weapon down on the previous creature, obliterating it and leaving just one more creature left.

This time, she didn't wait for it to attack her first. She charged forth, about as well as she could with the sword in her hands, and swung her sword again, nailing it in the torso with a horizontal strike. The monster went in to retaliate as she lost her balance again and she attempted to counter with another strike, the two attacks meeting their targets. Sword against shadowy head, claws against her fair skin.

Thankfully, the last of the creatures vanished in a dark mist, joining the rest of its ilk in the nothing. She'd succeeded in her bout, but now she was left alone again. Just as she'd begun to consider how best to tend to her injuries, she noticed swirling circle of clear energy. Putting caution first, she examined it placing a single pinky within its confines and finding a gentle, relaxing sensation fill her. The stinging injuries seemed to fade away and she felt reinvigorated, as if the fight had never even occurred.

Impressive, but your endeavors will only continue get harder and harder…

As she sighed a breath of relief to her newfound health, another light shined off the mural, revealing a large, ornate door. She blinked a few times, swept her amber hair out of her sight, even lightly slapped herself to ensure she wasn't imagining it. Upon confirmation, she excitedly rushed to the door.

But do not fear,

For even in your darkest moments,

Your heart will guide you to the light!

The moment she shoved the doors opened, a flash of light poured through, brighter than all the others. She closed her eyes and shielded her face as the light enveloped her, filling the emptiness. When she opened her eyes, she found a familiar ceiling greeting her as she awoke. "Back here again," she sighed depressingly. If only her dreams could take her somewhere else.

"Whatever…" She threw her legs over the edge of her bed and stood up. "Back to work!"