Artemis was being dragged down a long hallway. She tried to walk, but the two men, whose hands were clasped around her arms, were going too fast and she kept stumbling. She knew where they were taking her, outside, where Olcinia wanted Artemis to tear down the veil, or open the breach, or… what did she expect her to do? What did she think would happen to them if Artemis did manage to unlock the full force of the mark? Clearly Olcinia was terrified of Corypheus, if she wanted to test this plan before telling Corypheus that she even had Artemis. Or maybe she had told him? I have to get us out of here, Artemis thought, picturing Cullen trapped in that barrier. If she could tear that down – and she could if she found a staff – and if she could wake him up… At least then they'd stand a chance.

The two men let go of her and stopped walking so abruptly, that Artemis tumbled to the floor. The men were struggling with opening the massive doors leading to the courtyard (or so Artemis guessed). The small door in front of Artemis was open a little. She could see another room and in it she could see a familiar green shimmer. Artemis had seen this before, it was a rift, just not quite open yet, but she could open it, like Solas had once told her to do.

Before her rational mind could talk her out of it, Artemis got to her feet, and pushed herself through the half-opened door. Behind her she could already hear the surprised, and angry, yelps of the men guarding her. This could be the stupidest thing she had done as an Inquisitor, but Dorian was right, Cullen wouldn't want her to give in, he'd want her to fight. Artemis stretched her left arm out in front of her and rushed at the shimmering light, with a roaring sound rippling through the air, the rift opened and without any hesitation Artemis jumped in.

"Arg!" Artemis landed on a sharp rocky ground. Pain shot up her right arm, rubbing her sore shoulder she got back up. "This is the Fade?" The whole world around her seemed lost in green mist, rocky terrain with scattered broken down architecture. Here and there she could see objects like books or chairs; things that you wouldn't expect in the Fade. What would you expect in the Fade? This was different than her harrowing, this was real, and no spirit was trying to tempt her. Could they even do that if she was physically here? Could they show her things that weren't real?

Slowly Artemis started walking, she remembered what Solas had told her when they had looked for memories of Cullen's abduction, he said intention mattered in the Fade, and if she focused on Cullen she would find him. So she tried to focus her mind on Cullen, and forget how terrified she was. How was she going to get out of here? And when she found Cullen, what would she see?

Artemis slowly made her way down the path, ignoring the spirits she saw drifting by her, and the strange little scenes she saw. What are they, she wondered, looking at a dinner table with two broken plates and a vase of wilted flowers. Artemis cursed herself for not having spoken to Solas and Cole more, maybe then she wouldn't feel so lost here.

Right when Artemis felt like she was starting to despair, she saw something odd, below her, on a large plain of empty rock there was a small cottage, and there was someone working on the roof it seemed. From up here she couldn't tell for certain who it was, but it did look like a blond man, and her heart leapt at even the chance –

Artemis started running down the path to the small cottage. The closer she got, the more convinced she became that it had to be him. "Cullen!" she started yelling as soon as she thought he might hear her. "Cullen!" The man on the ladder looked over his shoulder… it was him! It was Cullen! Artemis ran even faster, finding strength in knowing she had found him.

Cullen slowly descended the ladder and walked over to her, until a woman stopped him. From behind Artemis could only see the woman had red hair like hers, and Cullen clearly knew her as he kissed her and put his arm around her. Artemis had no time to process the feeling of hurt that washed over her at the sight, because the woman now turned in Cullen's arms to face her and Artemis found herself looking into her own face.

Obviously this had to be a demon keeping Cullen trapped here. It had to be, right? There was nothing else here but spirits, demons and these strange little scenes. Did spirits, or demons, shape the Fade and everything in it? Was that why there was a cottage here, and why Artemis saw the demon as herself and not its true form?

She had no time to think about these things, she needed to get Cullen out of here. Slowly she approached him, "Cullen, it's me," she stretched out her hand to him. There was no recognition in his face; he didn't see her as her, or recognise her as being Artemis. "You are in the Fade, we have to get out of here, I know this sounds absurd, but please, I can explain when we're back at Skyhold."

"Skyhold?" Cullen asked surprised.

"Yes, our – our home."

"I haven't seen Skyhold in years," Cullen said, but there was a frown on his face now. "Not for…" he seemed to be trying to remember something. He was about to say something else, but the demon who looked like Artemis distracted him. "Cullen, who is this woman, why won't she leave?" the other Artemis asked with a whimpering voice Artemis was certain she had never used in her life.

"Cullen, I'm Artemis, and you have to come with me," she pleaded, "I don't know who this is, but she's not me, she's not real, I think – I think she is a demon."

Cullen's expression grew dark as he took a step forward. "I think you should leave."

"Cullen –" Artemis suddenly noticed there was a weapons belt on the ground, with a sword attached. She was certain it hadn't been there before; was this an extension of the idea that the Fade was shaped by intention? Because if that were true, and she could focus on what she needed to fight the demon…

"Cullen…" the demon's voice drawled as she stroked his arm.

Artemis felt anger bubbling up inside her, this demon was using her to keep him here, his feelings for her were trapping him in the Fade! Of course that also meant his feelings were deep enough and real enough to keep him here. It meant that whatever Cullen felt for her wasn't just the remnants of that stupid potion, it meant he really did care for her.

Artemis smiled despite the situation. "Cullen," she briefly touched his arm, but he recoiled at her touch. From the corner of her eye, Artemis noticed a staff lying on the ground. But whether that had been her doing or part of the demon's illusion (after all if it pretended to be Artemis it needed a staff to do so), she couldn't tell, but she felt grateful anyway.

"Cullen, please believe me, this isn't real, but I am, we are," Artemis tried again, but Cullen's expression didn't change.

He doesn't believe me or recognise me, Artemis thought desperately. Cullen grabbed his belt and drew his sword. He is going to attack me? She knew he couldn't know it was her, he wouldn't attack her if he realised she was real, and not the demon he must think her. Artemis looked at the demon who had taken her form, she was smiling at her. This was strange and horrible. This trap they'd created for Cullen, they'd used her to imprison him, and now he wanted to kill Artemis to protect this life with her. This whole place looked so peaceful and she could understand not wanting to wake up from it.

Artemis quickly grabbed the staff, but didn't raise it at Cullen. Cullen briskly walked up to her and raised his sword up to her neck. "Leave," he hissed. Artemis shook her head. "Cullen, I can't leave without you. I came for you, to free you, if you would only think –"

"Stop lying!" Cullen drew his arm back, and swung his sword at her. Artemis quickly raised the staff in front of her; Cullen's sword clashed against the staff just between her hands.

"Cullen, please!" Artemis exclaimed. She cast a barrier around herself. "I don't want to fight, not you, please!"

Cullen looked at her, his icy gaze showing her he didn't care because he didn't believe her. He lunged at her, the point of the sword thrusting in her direction. Artemis quickly stepped to the side, twisting her torso to miss the blade by a few inches, causing Cullen to lose his balance for just a moment. What would happen to me if I died in here?

"Cullen, stop!" Cullen recovered and swung his sword at her head. Artemis caught the blow with her staff again, this time putting force behind it to whack the blade away from her. Cullen immediately swung at her again, turning on his feet to add more power behind the blow. This time the sword came from above Artemis' head. Just in time she dropped to one knee, giving her time to twist the staff above her head. The sound of metal on metal as Cullen's sword was caught by the blade on the staff. Artemis pushed back against the blade, Cullen's sword sliding down it, and with one final push she manage to heave the blade and by extension Cullen back enough for her to quickly cast a spell.

Large white ice crystals formed at Cullen's feet, crawling up his body, freezing him in place. Artemis let out a sigh of relieve at the momentary retrieve. "Cullen, listen to me, please, you have been here before. Spirits have tried to tempt you before. Think back to the circle," she pleaded. "All this," she waved her arms around, "it isn't real, it is only here to keep you here and I, it, the demon or spirit looking like me, like Artemis, is only here to ensure you stay here. Because the Venatori want you here. To get to me, to get to the Inquisition. Because they know they can use you against me," she sighed, "the same way they have used me against you."

Cullen's resolve seemed to falter, but only for a moment. The look in his eyes hardened again and the ice around his body disappeared. Artemis didn't know if this was something he could do because he had been a Templar, or just something he could do here in the Fade.

"Cullen, please," she was almost crying now, feeling desperate to reach him and scared to fight him.

Cullen was free now and he didn't pause for a single moment before rushing at her again. He let out a battle cry, his sword raised. Artemis raised her staff. She held the staff's blade out in front of her, her staff was much longer than a sword and she looked like she was carrying a lance and they were about to joust.

"Please Cullen! I care for you; I don't want to hurt you!" Cullen stepped to the side, trying to flank her to avoid the blade. Artemis let him before suddenly turning on her heels, swiftly turning on her axe, stretching out her arms to lengthen the reach of her staff. Cullen tried to avoid the blade now being swung at him but he was too late and Artemis felt the blade scraping across Cullen's shoulder. At first he seemed angry, letting out a cry of pain as Artemis let out a gasp of guilt. But the expression on his face changed. He lifted his hand, touching the shoulder, his brow furrowed before he let out a small gasp. His sword fell to the ground.

"Cullen?" Artemis asked hopeful. Cullen looked up at her and for the smallest moment she thought she saw recognition there.

But then she heard her own voice calling out to him, from behind him. He turned to look at the demon who'd stolen her face. The imposter said Cullen's name again, a small tremor of fear audible in the voice. When Cullen turned back to focus on Artemis, she knew she'd lost him again. He swiftly picked up his sword and ran at her, Artemis quickly cast a barrier of fire between them, but Cullen just leaped over the flames. She was so stunned she almost failed to spot his next swing at her head. Artemis smacked the sword away, using her staff again, she tried to hit him with the blunt end of the staff, but Cullen expertly darted around her clumsy attempts.

She didn't want to cast another spell at him, not just because Cullen might counter it as before but also because she feared the damage it might do. Instead Artemis thrust the staff at Cullen's head, he bended over backwards so the swing passed just over his head. Artemis had hoped for this as his head was now twisted away enough that he didn't spot her quickly twirling the staff so the other half rammed against his lower legs hard enough to knock his legs right out from under him.

Cullen crashed to the ground and Artemis leaped on top of him, his sword had fallen from his hand and she quickly grabbed it, bringing the edge up to his neck. He was trapped under her, his heated face framed by the rocky ground around them. Cullen didn't move, the blade had already nicked the skin of his neck, the blade being exceptionally sharp. Artemis hated it, but she couldn't let him get up, he could beat her, he easily could, because she didn't want to risk his life and he was fighting for hers.

"Please just let me talk, please just listen and consider," she pleaded. Cullen's expression didn't change. "Think about how you got here. To this perfect little place. How did you find this house, when did you find it? When did the Inquisition end?" Cullen showed no reaction and Artemis felt her despair grow. She shook her head, "you have none of these memories because they never happened. We are still fighting Corypheus. We need you. I need you to remember. The fight is not over yet." Cullen clenched his jaw and looked at her defiantly. "How can you forget me so easily!" she accused. "This isn't real, this whole place is just the Fade lying to you! Do you want to know what I see? A small house in the middle of a rocky terrain. And I see a demon who looks like me. Everything you see is designed to keep you here." Cullen still seemed unconvinced.

Artemis started to cry, she desperately wanted not to, but she felt she had lost the battle. "I need you to remember and come back with me." She wiped away her tears, and in doing so she didn't look at Cullen, she took her eyes off him for just a second, but he took the chance and grabbed the arm she used to hold the sword, pushing it up so he sword was away from his neck, with his other hand he wrangled the sword from her grip and took it. Using his body he pushed her off him, Artemis landed on her back, Cullen quickly pinned her to the ground, his legs framing her hips on both sides. Cullen brought the blade to Artemis' neck.

Artemis knew she should fight, she could still cast a spell, but she was so tired. Tears rolled down her cheeks and landed on the ground. "You don't have to lose me, if you stop fighting for this place you won't lose me," she said softly. "Please, I need you to remember me." Cullen didn't respond in any way. "Even if it is just before you kill me, please remember that I – I love you." Artemis closed her eyes, waiting for the final blow. When instead she felt the blade lifted from her neck, she opened her eyes to find Cullen looking down at her, his brow furrowed. Hoping he was finally remembering, she repeated herself. "I love you, I have for longer than I should admit." Artemis wasn't sure if she was saying it in the hopes of making him see reason or just because she wanted him to know.

A look of surprise crept across Cullen's face. "You love me?" he asked finally.

"Of course, why else would I have come here?"

Cullen threw the sword away and dipped his head so he could kiss her, a long, lingering kiss. Cullen got up and stretched out his hand to Artemis, she took it and he pulled her up. "You love me," he repeated, smiling at himself.

"I do," Artemis said, smiling back shyly. Cullen laughed heartily and lifted her into his arms, he kissed her passionately and put her back down, his eyes scanned her face and his fingers playing with a loose strand of hair. "You're real," he said, looking at her eyes. "And you love me," he smiled, and gave her a quick kiss again. "Artemis, I – "

And just like that Cullen was gone. He just disappeared, in front of her eyes, the second he realised this wasn't real. Artemis hoped that meant he was back with his body, and that he was safe, but she had no time to consider it further. The demon now realised what had happened and was rushing at Artemis. Artemis grabbed the staff off the ground and shot flames at the demon. She wielded the staff with the confidence she had earned fighting with it for the Inquisition and it didn't take her long to defeat it. Artemis looked around the small area and slowly the cottage and a few other random object started to fade away, green mist whisked away by the wind.

A little farther away she could see a disturbance in the air, a strange ripple of dark blue, and she felt this had to be a rift, and it had to be her way out of here and back to Cullen.