The magic of the eluvians remain a mystery to all but their maker now. A secret lost to the wefts of time, known only to the minds of those who are too long since passed to utter their truths. They are a danger, some would say. And yet others; a wonder.

Of course I should find my dear friend drawn to one such mirror. My tenacious Witch of the Wilds, compelled to seek it out like a lovestruck sailor lured in by the alluring pull of a siren's call. In light of everything, I suppose I should have seen it coming.

'Do not follow me,' she'd warned, glancing back at me with her glimmering, golden eyes. 'For I am walking a path none other can tread. Not even you. We shall not meet again this time, my friend.. goodbye.'

I couldn't quite tell you what it was in that moment that bade me not to listen. Perhaps it was the hint of sorrow in her voice as she whispered her last farewell. The concern in my beloved hound's eyes, a perfect reflection of my own sentiments as we watched her slowly disappear. It could have been both of those things, or neither.

To tell you the truth, I think it was my own rebellious curiosity that drove me forward. The same depths of my nature that urged me to battle through the Arl's keep that day to save my family, my friends, and slaughter Vaughan like the wretch he was. That pushed me into the ranks of the Grey Wardens. Drove me through Deep Roads and Dalish Forests alike. The same compulsion that inevitably led me here, to Morrigan, just as she herself was drawn to the wonder of that mirror.

And so, my precious hound and I approached, the power of the eluvian whispering to me through each ripple of dark magic woven through its midst. I can feel it just as surely as the mana coursing through my veins. As real as the coarse, ebony strands of Fen's fur beneath my fingertips. Its an attempt to comfort him.. and to reassure myself. To keep us connected somehow as we venture blindly into the unknown. To follow after our friend and, if nothing else, perhaps save her from herself.

Soon, the whispers grow louder, insistent and demanding, drowning out the voices of my new companions that I can just about hear calling out from behind me. Urging me to stop. To turn back.

..but I don't. I never could. I likely never will.

What about Leliana, I wonder, as we step through the dark, rippling aura. Will I get to enjoy one last lover's tangle with her someday? Get to enjoy the delicious lilt to her voice as I relish in her sweet taste? Will Alistair make for a fair king at Anora's side, and will I ever return to hear of his just and righteous rule?

Blackness consumes us, and those questions swim through the darkness like eels. Its an abyss that seems to go on forever. Pulsing around me like its sentient. Slick and alive. All too aware of our presence here. It knows we don't belong. And so I stand amongst the endless void, the last remnants of an ancient magic wielded by my ancestors. But my own magic is dulled. Quiet. Fen whines and I stroke his fur to soothe him. Reassure him. But I begin to fear my friend was right.. that she may well have set off down a path I have no means to follow this time.

"..Morrigan?"

I call out her name amongst the darkness, and it echoes like a great chasm.

"Morrigan!"

Again, the only voice that calls back to me is my own, hallowed and endless. A chill creeps up my back, an eerie dread that my nature may well have finally gotten the best of me. Fen feels it too. As we walk through the pulsing void, he sidles in closer, trying to protect me just as he always has. Guard me from the unknown dangers seeping through this realm of shadows.

"We'll be okay," I promise, not entirely for his sake alone. "We just have to keep calm and stay together. If we keep walking straight, we're bound to find a way out eventually."

He grunts, sceptical with just a touch of his typical sass. At a time like this, I can't help but smile at its comforting familiarity.

"Oh, come along now. We've found ourselves in far more treacherous circumstances than this, Fen. Need I remind you of our lovely little getaway in the Fade not too long ago?"

He whines, recalling the event with the same fondness I do. This darkness isn't cosy by any means, but at least we're awake. And not a single demon around.. hopefully.

"Precisely. We just have to focus. Think positive," I assure him. "Besides, I did not just take down an Archdemon just to end up trapped in a bloody mirror."

My conviction seems to bolster his resolve, and we both begin to walk a little taller as we continue to trundle through the void.

Following my own advice, I think of all the good things that I've experienced throughout our adventures. The wonders I've seen. My companions. The faces of all the people we saved along the way. My pretty lover with her silky, red hair. Never asking more from me than I was prepared to give. Happy to enjoy my body as I enjoyed hers, satisfied in knowing that we could be that for each other without needing anything more.

Leliana. My sweet, blue eyed songbird.

Maker, I do hope I get to see you again..

Suddenly, a blaze of blinding light flares all around with the same all consuming presence as its dark counterpart. I throw my arm up and clamp my eyes shut, desperate to block out the unyielding brightness. I feel like I've just stared into the very heart of an ever burning sun. It's loud and churning with foreign sounds and smells I cannot place. Even when the light finally begins to dissipate, I can't quite bring myself to look. I just stay like that, the scruff of Fen's fur serving as my only anchor to any sense of normality in this twisted nether place.

As the moment passes, the sounds and smells become more legible to me. It smells like a smithy. Metallic and hot. I hear clicks and clanks and a strange, subtle hum underlying it all. What's more, I feel mana coursing through me, powerful and invigorating. Despite the low, warning growl I can hear quietly rumbling beside me, I can't help but feel relieved.

And so, I slowly bring my hand away and peer through narrowed eyes as they adjust to the light again, looking around at the various uniquely shaped blobs gathered just a few feet away. Right at the centre of them all, I can make out striking red hair and soft, ivory skin.

"Le..leliana?" I mumble, squinting at the familiar blur of red ahead of me.

But no sooner than I'd asked had my vision settled, and I suddenly understood what Fen was trying to tell me. Aghast, I glance at the diverse group of unfamiliar faces staring back at me. The metal shell I find myself stood in, encasing everything in sight. Finally, I lock eyes with the woman standing at the head of the party, her gaze, not blue, but a fiery glare of emerald green.

"I'm Commander Shepard," the woman says, raising her curious weapon my way. "And just who the hell are you?"