It was like living within a dream.
Long-buried memories arose like ghosts from the ground, enveloping his mind and caressing his emotions with their touch. Everyday happenings, so minor to those around him, were instead key events to him. Everything was so new, and so different… and yet, so familiar.
So this is how the world truly was, he thought, with more than a hint of disdain. Deluded fools convinced of their own omnipotence. But then, that's hardly exceptional. The sheer extravagance of this place disgusted him. The inhabitants indulged their every whim, caring not for thoughts of life beyond the moment. And why would they be concerned with the future, with the power they held at their command? No… not command. The power they borrow. The distinction instinctively sent a wave of revulsion through him, and he turned away from the crowded interior of this place, pulling his cloak tighter around himself as if to ward away the taint he knew to exist.
As he approached the sole exit, however, he found his way blocked by an oddly-shaped brown creature, clad only in a white robe. It seemed incapable of standing still, arms clasped behind its back and rhythmically hopping from one foot to the other. Despite the appearance, its eyes shone with a depth of clarity and understanding that so many within this kingdom were missing. Doreen. The name came to him, unbidden, but called up like so many other memories had been. This memory, though, came with the barest hint of nostalgia, though it was quickly smothered and destroyed beneath the ever-present rage that dominated every waking hour. I will not lose focus. Too much is at stake.
In the seconds that had passed, he had drawn closer to Doreen – the creature, as he amended his thoughts forcibly. It continued its strange dance, but those eyes were focused on him – and even within the comforting embrace of his cloak, he felt the stirrings of unease. This one has always been unpredictable. The wrong word said to the wrong person, and everything will be ruined. I will kill her – it – before that happens, if it comes to it. From deep inside, a part of him rebelled against the thought. Countless years of practice had rendered it all but meaningless, however, and a moment later that silent protest was erased. The creature stared at him the entire time, before suddenly coming to a complete halt. The sudden cessation of movement had his every muscle tensed, ready to act should it be necessary.
"Nothing is as it seems." Those five words were all that emerged from the creature, and with a stilted laugh, she spun in place and vanished. Several long seconds stretched onward for an eternity as he strained to relocate it… but to no avail. It was either gone, or hidden from his senses. A fresh wave of frustration washed over him as he slowly, agonizingly relaxed his muscles, already mentally calculating the new risks involved with this twist.
Nothing is as it seems. You don't know how correct you are, little creature… Magus thought to himself.