p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"Hours later, I got up and decided I would need to talk to Ms. Morland; I doubted I could hide this wound from her, and even if I could, the Knock of it was making keeping the bandage tied tight difficult./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"Getting dressed with only a single hand was a pain, but I managed and decided to skip a shower today. My hair might be a bit of a mess if I skipped a day, but it was not going to be a major issue unless I started skipping multiple days at a time./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"Walking down the stairs, I soon stepped into the kitchen and gave Ms. Morland an awkward wave with my wounded hand. She merely sighed and stood up before walking over and unwrapping it./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true""A Knock wound?" she asked, and I froze as she clicked her tongue. "Do you think I didn't know what you were doing, Aidan?" she asked as she tightened the bandage./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true""I took you in because you are soaked in Secret History and would likely end up in a cell or on a plate if I didn't help you. We'll need a Heart infused bandage for that," she stated matter of fact before turning and leaving the kitchen./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"I staggered to the side and leaned against the breathing heavily. I suspected something was up with how I had stumbled on her, but I was hoping she was not involved in the occult as even the more benign-looking Principles are nasty under the hood./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"She returned with a roll of bandages that looked faintly red; she then unwrapped my hand and slowly walked me through the steps on how to wrap it so that the bleeding would not impede my work./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true""That wound is going to take two weeks at least to heal, so until then, keep that bandage on and use that hand minimally," she said before returning to her breakfast./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"I sat down across from her and slowly picked my way through breakfast as I thought of what to ask her. "Why did you save me?" I finally decided to ask, causing her to hum as she ate her own food./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true""Empathy, why else?" She said as she looked up at me with her eyes seeming to shine a faint gold behind her glasses, "I may be retired, but people like you once in a century event, and I would be remiss in allowing you to end up like many other of the Know," she stated resulting in me swallowing before taking another bite of food./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true""I see, so you don't have any plans to sacrifice me?" I asked, somewhat hesitant, only to receive a barking laugh from the normally reserved woman. "If I wanted to sacrifice you, I would have done so already, but no, I just need help in the shop and saw a chance to do some good," she replies, and for a moment, you can see the weight of something in her eyes before her eyes glance off to the side and she takes a sip of her tea./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true""Anyway, I'll be leaving you alone for the most part. If you do need something, ask me, but I am retired, so physical support will be minimal at best," she continued before her eyes flicked up to the clock, and she stood up./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true""Now, I would recommend getting ready as it is ten to eight," she said before sweeping out of the room and leaving me scrambling. With my cut hand, cleaning the dishes was hard, but I managed to open the shop just as the clock hit eight./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"The day passed by like normal, except for a few comments on my bandaged hand. Thankfully, a pained laugh and a few words about clumsiness had most of them off my trail./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"Unfortunately, the Forge adept was back today, and instead of asking for Ms. Morland like last time, he looked down at me, his eyes looking at my hand. He gave a small grunt before speaking a single word. "Morland," then he leaned back./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"Ringing the bell like I did before, Ms. Morland took him to the back and below. The rest of the day thankfully passed without any issues, and I handed Ms. Morland the key at the end of the day./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true""Now, you'll need some aid to prevent the Velvet from taking your secrets when you sleep." She stated as he both ate dinner, "Thankfully, you have done part of the work; tonight, as you sleep, focus on that wound and how you wish to not enter the Wood,"/span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true""I see; what will that do?" I asked hesitantly. She may not want to kill me, but she was still an occultist, even if a self-proclaimed retired one. "It will allow you to pass to the White Door, where you will be safe from the Velvet; of course, that is no guarantee the only way to be safe is to travel closer to the Glory," she answered, which brought to mind something./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"The Glory was a question, and the Moth always answered yes, while the Velvet answered no. So it made sense that the closer I climbed to the Glory, the safer I would be from the Velvet./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true""That makes sense," I said before polishing off the last bite and gingerly picking up my plate and cutlery. "Thank you for dinner; it was good, like always." I told her, to which she smiled, "Thank you, I try,"/span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"We both then placed the dishes in the dishwasher before going our separate ways. It seemed that while she was willing to offer advice and tips, she would not be holding my hand, which, while somewhat annoying, made sense; if she was retired, then helping a new adept could be seen coming out of that, and anybody in the Know would likely make enemies over the years./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"This time, I would be staying dressed as last time I was forced to run through the Wood nearly naked, and I didn't want to do that. Sliding under my covers, I held my hand to my chest, still bandaged and bleeding small drops into the Heart-infused cloth./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"Letting my thoughts dwell on the White Door, I closed my eyes and attempted to fall asleep. Of course, when you wanted to sleep, you never could, which led to me laying on my bed for what felt like hours before falling asleep./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"em style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"I awoke in the House of the Sun like I had before, except instead of in the muck and darkness of the Wood, I was standing outside a door with the Glory shining down above me./em/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"em style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"Looking up at the brilliant light, it felt like my breath was stolen away, and I knew that I would never forget this. The Glory was brilliant, and even as it burned my eyes, it was hard to tear my gaze away./em/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"em style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"However, I did, and in the dream world that was the Mansus, it dealt no damage beyond discomfort. I then stepped through the door ahead of me and felt my mouth freeze over like a lake in winter./em/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"em style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"I had entered into a massive maze that seemed to have a constant coldness permeating it. I didn't have anything to really look for here. I did know Teresa lived somewhere nearby, but I didn't think talking to her would be a good idea yet, not without any way to cover up my secrets./em/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"em style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"However, I was loath to waste this time, so I put one foot in front of the other and wandered around this labyrinth. It was strange normally while my mind would be spinning as I thought about how to use my time here, but I was content to merely walk about and see if I could find the Sage Lodge or what is the Knight Lodge? It was so hard to think in this place./em/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"em style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"Shaking my head, I wandered the labyrinth for hours before I slowly faded away and woke up in my bed, having found nothing and accomplished nothing./em/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"My mind was slow as I stumbled out of my bed, with the wound on my hand throbbing with a faint pain. I didn't like that place. It made me slow and stupid, but I needed to explore it to climb higher./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" Rubbing my wound, I headed into the bathroom before getting cleaned up. I had to be cautious around my wound, but I managed to clean myself with only a bit of burning pain from soap in the wound./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"Eating breakfast with Ms. Morland, I soon headed into the shop and began searching for another book. This time, I was searching for Winter; it was clear that thinking beyond the White Door was hard, and doing anything meaningful was harder. However, back when this had all been something to read, Winter had been one of my least favorite Principle, meaning I had very little to go off of./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"Things like Edge or Heart, I could jury rig because I had thought about them and even mixed them into my own writings back home, but Winter and, to an extent, Grail, I didn't know that much about beyond the basics./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"Thankfully, I did manage to find the second volume of Travelling by Night, which I quickly flipped through. It mentioned the Sun-in-Rags by name and was, therefore, very likely to hold information on Winter./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"I did, however, have a job, so I unlocked the door and flipped the sign around, ready for another day of work. This day was thankfully normal, with the normal crowd of vapid people wanting to find books and no true occultists./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"This let me read the book, and it was interesting. I already knew how to pass the White Door, which was what most of the book was concerned with, but Elagabalus, the emperor whom Christopher was examining, seemed to have a method to pass without growing dull or at least not dull enough to forget his purpose./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"It was described as a silence of sorts, a method of clearing your thoughts so that you could think. I leaned back and gritted my teeth; this is why I didn't think of Winter much. It didn't make all that much sense, and while it sounded neat, I couldn't wrap my head around a sound but was s but I would need it to climb higher, so I returned to the book./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"The rest of the day passed by, and soon I was back in my room, the lights off and ready to dream. I was focused once again on the faintly throbbing wound on my hand as I drifted off./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"em style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"Thankfully, I was in front of the White Door once again. This time, however, I hummed deep and low in my throat before cutting it off. I then did my best to keep that low sound in my throat as I stepped past the threshold./em/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"em style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"My mind trembled, and I stumbled; I, for the faintest moment, felt the urge to open a Door across my wrists so I could join this peaceful place of Winter. I then stood up and attempted to bite my thumb to break away from those thoughts, but it just hit my face sans any mouth like before./em/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"em style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"Doing my best to push aside any such thoughts, I searched for the next door that would lead me higher. I disliked this place as much as I could while trapped in its numbing effect./em/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"em style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"However, as I walked the halls of this place, I was swarmed by the dead. They could do little as my warmth burned them, but the same sound that kept me thinking properly dimmed such warmth, and so I was forced to balance it to prevent myself from being devoured or losing myself for another night./em/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"em style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"It seemed like my search wasn't to be as I was unable to move more than a dozen feet before another handful of dead attempted to consume me. I then woke after the dozenth attempt./em/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"Waking up, I could feel my thoughts rush as I stood up. Clenching my mouth shut, I felt bile crawl up and burn my throat. Stumbling into the bathroom, I was forced to swallow the vomit to prevent it from spilling out of my mouth and onto the floor./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"I then dropped to my knees and spewed out last night's dinner in the toilet. Breathing heavily, I dry heaved a few more times before leaning forward my chest against the toilet./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"While I was there and calling upon Winter, I could think and move, but I was still dulled, so their frantic attempts to tear me apart did very little since my being alive burnt them as they were so touched by Winter./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"That did little to shake the horror of seeing people like me distorted into things like that near mindless and scrabbling for anything that could help them. Standing up, I returned to my room. My decision to climb towards the Glory was reaffirmed with a new haste: I would not become another of the voiceless dead; I would find my way home, I promised myself./span/p