A Lesson Learned

Tentatively raising one eyelid, Eve glanced around, expecting to see a huge demon blocking her way. However, upon seeing the familiar corridors of the tower, she quickly opened both eyes. Had the spell failed, or had she already completed her Harrowing? She was really hoping it was the latter. But, in the midst of congratulating herself for completing the test so quickly that she couldn't even remember it, she suddenly realised how quiet it was.

Maybe the Circle had run into trouble? At this thought, she reached for her staff, ready to fight, and found it was missing. She never left her quarters without her staff, a rather pitiful apprentice staff, admittedly, but a staff nonetheless. Eve sighed as it slowly dawned on her that she was still in the Fade. A closer look at her surroundings confirmed this. Disjointed was the best way to describe it - everything looked right but felt wrong - like a new shoe that rubbed at the heel.

Feeling a little nervous, Eve decided to check that her magic was working. A fireball flared into existence and hovered over the palm of her hand. She blew out a sigh of relief, feeling somewhat cheered by the proof of her magic. Surely that was the most important thing? But her brain prodded at her with doubtful fingers. Eve rubbed a hand through her hair, wishing she'd paid more attention to Irving. However, standing around wasn't going to get the Harrowing finished, and she knew there was a time limit, of sorts. If she spent too long in the Fade, Greagoir would assume she was lost and order her to be killed.

The grey stone walls of the corridor stretched before her, made ominous by the dim light from the flickering torches. With a fatalistic shrug, she started walking. A minute later, Eve rounded a corner and came to an abrupt halt; Solona was pressed up against a wall - with Knight-Lieutenant Cullen doing the pressing. They were smiling and talking quietly, their eyes alight with love. His head slowly dipped and their lips met in a sensuous kiss. It was the kiss she'd always dreamed of having with him.

A painful breath caught in Eve's throat and unshed tears stung her eyes. There was a tight pain in her chest and she was surprised at just how upsetting it was to see him with someone else.
With a sinking feeling in her stomach, she realised her feelings for the Templar had gone way past that of a crush. Eve had been clinging to the hope that her infatuation would ease up at some point, but that expectation had just been destroyed in a brutal manner. Maker, but she was an idiot!

A thin thread of anger twisted around her heart at the way she'd been forced to acknowledge her feelings for Cullen. However, this emotion was pushed aside as the kiss between Solona and Cullen became more passionate causing an anguished groan to slip from Eve's lips. At the sound, the two lovers broke apart; she to bury her head against his chest, he to stare at Eve with disinterested eyes.

She turned away then, unable to bear the sight any longer. Walking quickly along the corridors, Eve retreated to her favourite place in the tower. The library was comfortable and familiar, a place where she could take a moment to put her thoughts in order. Upon entering the large room, she was shocked to find it so empty. Generally, the library was the hub of the mage tower where people went to study or quietly chat. The silence was disturbing and unnatural, and it tightened Eve's already taut nerves to the point of snapping.

Weaving her way through the tall bookcases, she walked towards her favourite seat while trying to shake off the cold fear that clung to her like a shadow. A heart-wrenching sob broke the stillness and Eve muffled a surprised cry of her own as she spun on her heels looking for the source. Following the loud sobs, she found a young woman sitting at a desk, shoulders hunched over a book, tears wetting the pages below. Her crumpled posture and sorrowful cries demanded compassion from all who saw her, and Eve's heart swelled with pity.

Walking over to the desk, she put an arm around the woman's thin shoulders. Eve didn't recognise her and guessed she must have only recently arrived at the tower.
"I hate the Circle," the woman declared vehemently. Surprised at the sudden change in temperament, Eve dropped her arm from the woman. The rage in the stranger's voice was disturbing and Eve took a step back, afraid that the woman might lash out and hit her.

The woman brushed away more tears as she told her story. "I was going to be married, have children, settle down to a long life with the man I loved. And then the Templars came. They ripped me from the arms of my fiancé and dragged me here, to be locked away forever."

Eve felt a strong empathy for the woman's sad story. Recalling the late night talks she'd had with Solona, she started to see just how shitty life was in the Circle. Perhaps, if she hadn't been a mage, she might have had a chance with Cullen. In her mind, she could see herself being married, waking up next to him every day, having his children - just leading a normal, happy life. She clung to the vivid vision and a dark shadow closed around her heart as she accepted that this life could never be hers.

The stranger reached out and touched Eve's arm, "You know what I mean, don't you? Look at the way you've been treated."
"It hasn't been that bad," Eve said, feeling some loyalty towards the Circle. "I've made some good friends here."
The woman leaned closer. "But where were your friends when they threw you in a cell? Just a child, too. I've seen dogs treated better than that."

Another vision flooded her senses, so real that it stole her breath. Terrified, Eve recognised the small cell, saw herself huddled on the mattress, scared and lonely. Her subconscious screamed at her that something was wrong, but it was muffled by the fear that had seeped into her heart. Her brain, however, would not be silenced and continued to bombard her with warnings until it pierced the bubble of terror that encompassed her.
"I'm not really here," she whispered, then said it again, stronger, louder, and abruptly the vision disappeared.

The stranger had moved next to Eve and placed a comforting arm around her shoulders. "I know what you need, and I can give it to you – love, revenge, a normal life – I can give you everything you've ever desired."
But Eve was more alert now and wholly aware of the niggling prodding sensation in her brain that told her she was in danger.
Moving away from the woman, Eve asked, "If you can do all that for me, why can't you help yourself?"
The stranger shook her head, her expression sorrowful. "It's too late for me, but you still have a chance."

The warning signal had turned into a blaring alarm now, and with a gasp, Eve remembered she was in the Fade, and none of this was real. With her eyes fully open to the situation, she asked the stranger, "And what would you want in return for this help?"

The woman seemed to shimmer and blur for a split second, but it was enough to drive home the danger. Eve quickly backed away while reaching for her staff. Now that she was once again aware of being in the Fade, she was unsurprised when her hands grasped firm wood - knowing that her own will had brought the staff into being.

The woman stood, and as she did, her human form fell away to reveal a Desire Demon. Eve drew in a sharp breath and prepared a spell. In response, the demon laughed a low and husky sound that conjured up images of intimacy and... well, desire. "No need for that, apprentice. You've passed your test. But oh, I was close to having your soul. Your instincts are good though, so listen to them."
Then she was gone, as were the surroundings, and Eve felt herself falling into darkness.