When I wake, I am back in the grim room I was in when Molag Bal had me. I hurriedly crawl into the corner and look around. I see the restraints hanging up in the middle of the room, the blindfold on the floor, hanging on the wall are ropes and whips and... maces... and axes... and knives. I'm going to die here.
There is loud roar from outside, "You can't hide from me, mortal!" It's the same voice from last time I was here: Molag Bal. "Come out here now!" he roars. I shudder and whine in fear.
Suddenly there is a loud crash, the whole room shakes, and the ceiling falls in on top of me. I'm pinned underneath the rubble, both my legs are seething in intense pain, and worst of all, I see the monster who did this.
A large, pitch black, skeletal being is staring down at me. He grabs me, picking me up high above the demolished building. I am eye to eye with this monster, with Molag Bal. "You're mine, mortal," he growls. I scream loudly as he crushes me in his hand. "You belong to me now." No. ANYTHING but this!
Then, right after I have my thought, I feel nothing. The pain stops. Molag Bal stops. Time itself stops. What the fuck is happening? "Anything, Ashlynn?" I hear Sheogorath's whisper in my mind. Yes. If letting you in makes this stop, yes!
I blink. I'm back in the garden, lying on the ground. I turn and look back at the table. Sheogorath is still gone. I'm still alone. Was that really just a dream? "Hello?!" I yell. "Sheogorath?!" Still no answer. I sit back at the table, stare longingly at the empty throne, and sigh dishearteningly. It was just a dream. I should've let him in. At least then I wouldn't be alone.
"Are you changing your mind?" I jump at Sheogorath's question, breaking the silence. He's standing by his seat.
"I... I, um..." I stammer. Suddenly having second thoughts, realizing that what I just experienced was only a dream.
"Was it, Ashlynn?" He asks me, sitting back down. "Was it only a dream?"
"It had to have been!" I yell.
"Well, have you ever seen Molag Bal's true form before?" Sheogorath leans back in his chair and calmly asks me. "If it was really a dream, how can you possibly even remember his appearance in such great detail?"
I think back at my dream and remember that horrid creature that grabbed me. He's right. I couldn't have just dreamed up that. "That really happened?"
Sheogorath nods curtly. "It did."
"You said if I chose not to let you in, you'd leave me alone," I say. "I thought you meant forever."
Sheogorath shakes his head and smiles, "I chose you, Ashlynn. I will never leave you alone."
"So you let Molag Bal do that to me?!" I yell angrily.
"I guess I should finally confess something to you, shouldn't I?" He laughs. "None of that was dream, nor did it really happen."
"What are you talking about?" I question him.
"You probably don't remember this, but before you fell asleep in the Void," Sheogorath explains, "you said, well thought, 'I should've let him in.' I took that as an invitation and as punishment for defying me the first time I asked, I put you through an illusion." He points to the place I was laying and adds, "It was actually quite entertaining watching you. It made me not want to break it."
I sit there in dumbfounded silence. A mix of anger, doubt, regret, and a plethora of other emotions wash over me. What's going to happen now?
"I'm going let you go," Sheogorath says. "I'm returning you to the mortal plane." Wait, he didn't speak. I heard that in my head. "You're getting it now," he adds with a laugh.
He stands up, takes me by the hand, and leads me down a dirt path. We reach the edge of a tall grassy hill that overlooks a magnificent landscape. To my right, tall mushroom-like plants and colorful trees. To my left, swamps, bogs, and dark forests. "This is what awaits you when you return," I hear his voice in my head. "The life you live from this point on will determine whether you are fit for Mania," he points to the right, "or Dementia." He points to the left. "Both are beautiful in their own way and you are welcome to a home in either one."
Sheogorath looks me in the eyes and speaks aloud, "The life you once knew is gone and what is in store for you now is the new life you must live." He smiles smugly, "Obey my guidance and you will survive." He then guides me right to the edge and abruptly commands, "Now close your eyes." Before I could ask why, Sheogorath pushes me. I free fall towards the ground. I close my eyes as I'm about to hit the jagged rocks below.
I hit the ground with a thud. I open my eyes and I find myself lying on a wooden floor. My clothes have changed. I'm wearing a thick, wool dress. The room is empty, nothing but dusty furniture and cobwebs. It's too bright to be Coldharbour. I look out a window and see that I am in what looks like a medieval town. Where the fuck am I?
In my head, I hear Sheogorath talking, "The mortal plane. Mundus. Nirn. Tamriel. Skyrim. Solitude. Blue Palace. Pelagius wing." He then laughs like the madman he is. I drop to the floor, completely unsure about what to do now.
Sheogorath's laughter dies down and I hear his voice in my head again. "Reach into your bag, Ashlynn. I allowed you to keep a little something to remind you of home." I reach into my bag and pull out my mp3 player. The battery won't last. It's impossible to charge it here. "Don't worry about it. I've allowed it to have infinite battery power." But how? "I said not to worry about it, Ashlynn." Alright. Whatever. "Turn it on," he says with a laugh. "I've picked out a song whose title is perfect for this occasion." I put in my ear buds and turn on the music. A Daughtry song starts playing... It's Not Over.