Sometimes, when she was on the verge of falling asleep, Fae felt the sudden sensation of falling, jolting her right back into consciousness. Like falling for an age, only to realise it had been a mere few seconds. That's what it felt like, until the awful, unavoidable knowledge struck that she was not falling asleep but actually falling, when she saw the hard rocky ground coming up to meet her. Flinging out her hands on instinct, she braced for impact, but it didn't come. Some invisible force held her aloft, inches off the ground, until her hand brushed the surface and gravity remembered its existence. She landed on her front with a soft grunt.

"Where are we?" Fae heard Stroud wheeze behind her. Standing up shakily, she turned to see the Warden getting to his feet… on a vertical pane of rock.

"We…we were falling," Ellethir muttered, although it sounded more like she wanted to remind herself than anyone else as she stumbled over to Stroud to help him back down to the ground.

"If this is the afterlife, the Chantry owes me an apology," Hawke rubbed a hand down her cheek, mouth agape. "This looks nothing like the Maker's bosom."

Cassandra, Blackwall and the Iron Bull stood in a group, all staring out at the same landscape with varying levels of concern. An endless expanse of jagged rocks stretched out before them, with an eerie green mist seeping through the air in the spaces between. Some unseen light source, perhaps the mist itself, bathed the area in a dull, sickly glow.

Solas, for his part, looked positively delighted. "No, this is the Fade. The Inquisitor opened a rift," he said, eyes sparkling. "We came through… and survived. I never thought I would find myself here physically… Look. The Black City, almost close enough to touch."

He pointed, and all eyes followed up to the sky, where a hole not unlike the first Breach swirled ominously. The light pouring through this rift was just bright enough to be able to make out the silhouettes of what had to be enormous rock formations… or towers. That one might see in a city.

"That's the Black City?" Fae breathed. "It's real?"

"Evidently," Solas practically chirped.

"You did not think it was real?" Cassandra side-eyed Fae quizzically.

"I thought it was a metaphor. There's a lot of metaphors in the Chant of Light. At least, I thought there were."

"The Black City is part of an Andrastian tale," Ellethir explained, but she hardly seemed to be paying attention, staring straight up at the rift behind it. "It's not mentioned in our stories of the Creators. The closest comparison might be… the Abyss?"

"Where Fen'harel trapped the other faction of gods, the Forgotten Ones," Fae said slowly, turning to look at Ellethir. "Don't suppose it's the same thing?" They both glanced back nervously at the black shapes in the distance.

"What spirit commands this place?" Solas wondered aloud. "I have never seen anywhere like it."

Hawke shuddered. "It's not how I remember the Fade, either. Perhaps it is because we are here physically, instead of just dreaming. Ellethir, they say you walked out of the Fade at Haven. Was it like this?"

"I don't know," Ellethir admitted, brow furrowed. "I still can't remember what happened the last time I did this."

"Well, whatever happened at Haven, we can't assume we're safe now. That huge demon was right on the other side of that rift Erimond was using, and there could be others."

"Maybe that demon he pulled through was the one that ruled over this area, and now it's empty? Maybe?" Fae said hopefully.

There was a displeased grunt from behind them. "This is shitty," Bull huffed. "I'll fight whatever you give me, boss, but nobody said nothing about getting dragged through the ass-end of demon town."

"I can't imagine any of us would be strong enough to drag you, Iron Bull," Blackwall muttered, "But I would not recommend lingering here."

"Blackwall is right," Stroud agreed. "In our world, the demon was able to come through that rift. Can we escape the same way?"

Ellethir rubbed the back of her head. "That sounds like our only option right now. Let's go."

With Ellethir leading the party in front, Solas quickly fell into step behind her. "This is fascinating. It's not the area I would have chosen, of course. But to physically walk within the Fade…" His rambling ended in a contented hum.

"Oh yeah, this must be a dream come true for your crazy ass," Bull muttered sarcastically behind him.

"Yes," Solas agreed. "Literally."

"Don't allow yourself to get distracted," Cassandra warned. "There is nothing more dangerous than this place."

There was a moment of silence, and then, in a markedly more clipped tone, "Thank you for the warning, Seeker."

Cassandra sighed. "I did not mean to sound condescending, Solas. You are as much of an expert on this place as anyone. Is there anything we should know?"

Solas considered. "The Fade is shaped by intent and emotion," he said thoughtfully. "Remain focused, and it will lead you where you wish to go. The demon that controls this area would be extremely powerful. Some variety of fear, I would guess. I suggest you remain wary of its manipulation… and prepare for what is certain to be a fascinating experience."

"Indeed," Cassandra mused. "To walk in the Fade and survive…"

"We haven't survived yet," Blackwall mumbled.

"Hey, chief. Let's join the Inquisition! Good fights for a good cause!" Iron Bull began mimicking Krem's Tevinter accent. "I don't know, Krem. I hear there are demons," he followed as himself. And again as Krem, "Ah, don't worry about the demons, chief! I'm sure we won't see many!"

He then muttered something under his breath that ended with "…Asshole. Can't believe I listened. Everyone, if I get possessed, feint on my blind side, then go low. Cullen says I leave myself open."

"I suggest we avoid being possessed in the first place," Cassandra grumbled.

"I imagine Qunari spies are required to have a certain strength of willpower," Fae said stiffly, trotting along beside Bull at the rear of the group. "That's the only advantage worth having here. At least, that's how it usually works, when you're only here dreaming."

Bull caught a glimpse of Fae's tense expression. "You alright, Seer? You look a little peaked. Did you take a blow on the way that we didn't notice?"

Fae shook her head, not returning his gaze. "I'm fine. It's just… this place feels wrong."

"Because it is wrong," Cassandra said firmly. "This place is not meant to be tread by the living such as ourselves. The last time mortals came here, the Black City was invaded and the darkspawn brought the Blight to the world."

"The last time a mortal was here, she came back as the Herald of Andraste," Fae nodded towards Ellethir.

"That…is true."

"The reason is more likely to be related to magic than religion," Solas stopped, allowing the others to catch up. "You demonstrated a certain sensitivity to anomalies in the Fade while we were in Redcliffe, Faellathi. It only makes sense that you would feel its influence while standing in the very Fade itself."

Fae frowned. "Nothing about this makes sense. Even that candle over there doesn't make sense, hovering in the air when there's a perfectly creepy table it should be sitting on right underneath it." She stomped over to it, pointing.

Solas chuckled. "The Fade often reflects our world, not necessarily with pinpoint accuracy."

Fae had already stopped paying attention. Resting on the table (as it should), was a letter. It definitely looked real enough to touch. Gingerly, Fae reached out to touch it, and when it remained, she snatched it up and started reading, her expression turning grim.

"What does it say?" Ellethir asked.

"Maker, give me strength," Fae read aloud. "When the darkspawn came to Denerim, I wept so hard that I could not see, but still I fought for you. When demons poured from the sky where the Temple of Sacred Ashes used to stand, my hands shook so badly that I could not aim my bow, but still I fought for you." She hesitated. "There's more… 'I am so afraid, Maker. But still, I will fight for you.' Hm."

Cassandra raised an eyebrow. "Why do I sense some measure of disapproval, Seer?"

Fae shrugged, making her way back to the rear of the group. "I don't know. Why fight for a god that wouldn't lift a finger for you?"

Cassandra looked ready to begin an argument, but Blackwall intervened. "Plenty worse things to fight for, lass."

"True."

"That letter proved you're probably right in thinking that this part of the Fade is controlled by a fear demon, Solas," Hawke added. "We should all be on our guard."

As the group progressed, they weren't attacked, but the Fade seemed to acknowledge their presence in its own way. As they passed by a small black pool of water, it rippled, and Fae heard the echoes of an angry, fearful voice. "…Think they own us, think they decide whether we live or die... still there inside me… I want them to feel the fear they made me feel, I want them to know what it's like…"

"Are you hearing that, too?" Cassandra asked, bewildered. "That poor girl…"

Fae shook her head. "That was definitely a man's voice I heard. I think we should try to steer clear of the water."

Further ahead, as they passed by a sheer panel of rock, Fae saw words carved into it, partially scratched out: 'templars beyond the Veil, standing over my paralysed body, their swords pointed at my heart, waiting for the moment of my failure…I would be unmade. The demon would devour my mind, and the templars would destroy what was left of me…'

"Poor lad should never have been a chevalier," Blackwall mused, reading the same wall.

"We cannot afford to become distracted," Ellethir reminded them, leading the group up a staircase formed out of the rock. She stopped still at the top of the staircase. "Hello?" She asked someone just of their line of sight, clearly surprised.

"Who are you talking to?" Stroud jogged up the remainder of the stairs with the others close behind, and his eyes widened. "By the Maker, could that be…?"

"Divine Justinia?" Cassandra breathed. "Most Holy?"

A tall, straight-backed woman in formal Chantry robes regarded them with a faint smile. The way she held herself gave the impression of being young and strong, but the hollowness of her cheeks and dark circles under clear grey eyes were those of someone for whom either time or illness had taken its toll.

"I greet you, Cassandra. Warden Stroud. Inquisitor Lavellan," she said, nodding gently to each of them in turn. "You have many allies here," she observed, taking in the measure of the whole group. "That is good."

"Cassandra, you knew the Divine," Ellethir said under her breath. "Is this really her? Could she have survived the explosion at the Conclave, like I did?"

Cassandra shook her head minutely, not taking her eyes off Justinia. "I… I don't know. It is said the souls of the dead pass through the Fade and sometimes linger, but… We know the spirits lie. Be careful, Inquisitor."

Stroud also eyed Justinia warily. "I fear the Divine is indeed dead. It is likely we face a spirit."

"Or a demon," Hawke warned.

Bull's grasp on his great-axe tightened. "How can you bloody tell the difference?"

"By what they want," Fae murmured.

Solas stepped forward. "The difference is a little more complex—"

"Not now, Solas," Cassandra said tightly.

Justinia simply smiled. "You think my survival impossible, yet here you stand alive in the Fade yourselves. In truth, proving my existence either way would require time we do not have."

"Surely you can understand our concerns and explain what you are," Hawke reasoned.

"I am here to help you," Justinia's gaze fell on Ellethir. "You do not remember what happened at the Temple of Sacred Ashes, Inquisitor."

Ellethir nodded slowly. "I don't. But the real Divine Justinia would have no way of knowing that I'd been made Inquisitor."

"I know because I have examined memories like yours, stolen by the demon that serves Corypheus. It is the Nightmare you forget upon waking. The Nightmare feeds off memories of fear and darkness, growing fat upon the terror. The false Calling that terrified the Wardens into making such grave mistakes? Its work."

"Corypheus seems to have a lot of demons at his disposal," Ellethir mused. "How does he command so many?"

Justinia inclined her head. "I know not how he commands his army of demons. His power may come from the Blight itself. But this demon, this Nightmare who leads the others serves willingly, for Corypheus has brought much terror to this world. He was one of the magisters who unleashed the First Blight upon the world, was he not? Every child's cry as the Archdemon circles, every dwarf's whimper in the Deep Roads…the Nightmare has fed well."

"I would gladly avenge the insult this Nightmare dealt my brethren. I am not afraid," Stroud snarled, his hand going instinctively to the sword on his belt.

Ellethir shook her head. "This demon commands an army of other demons. Defeating it would take more than the few of us, and we've been fighting for hours."

"Nevertheless, you will have your chance, brave Warden," Justinia assured Stroud. "This place of darkness is its lair. But it is not simply fear. It is the terror you cannot remember, the horror your mind erases to protect you. When old memories no longer make the veteran soldier's hand tremble, it is because the Nightmare has taken them. Most people avoid their fears. It is simple for the demon to steal the darkest fragments. They forget, and it feeds. Corypheus has helped it grow monstrous."

"It makes people forget the worst parts of their fears? You make it sound like the Nightmare is helping people," Ellethir's eyes narrowed suspiciously.

Justinia smiled sadly. "Perhaps it once was. But now, it helps none but Corypheus. By his hand, it creates more fear and grows even stronger. In any case, robbing people of their fears is never a kindness. At best, it is a mistake borne of compassion. Without fear, and pain, and failure, we cannot learn. We cannot grow. As you cannot grow until you recover all that was taken from you. That is why I found you. When you entered the Fade at Haven, the demon took a part of you. Before you do anything else, you must recover it," Justinia explained, gesturing ahead of her. "These are your memories, Inquisitor."

One by one, four barely-corporeal wraiths flickered into existence, hovering around yellow balls of light. They began moving towards the group, flitting in and out of sight and reappearing closer each time.

"Run towards those lights, Inquisitor, we'll take care of these guards," Solas assured her, staff twirling.

A/N: Oh hi! It's been a minute, thank you for reading :) Couple more chapters on the way 3