Chapter 9 - Mindscape

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Chapter 9 - Mindscape

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Azarin, he, who comes through night. Zark’n, he, who guides the light. Laris, she, who holds the gem. Rathril zi la ish varen.

The words circled Athira’s mind. She felt her colour light her body, extending her senses as her consciousness plummeted into the void. There was the usual anxiety attached to the fall, but she embraced it. It’d been too long since she’d entered her mindscape, fully and completely.

It was time to face her inner demon, the Sin that coursed through her blood.

She tried to keep her breathing steady as nervousness ate away at her.

Talon is here. He’s never let you down before.

Yet it couldn’t quite quell the quiet thought hovering at the edge of her mind.

But how long until Talon isn’t enough?

Athira dismissed the thought and opened her eyes, finding herself at the top of her cliff.

It looked the same as it always had -- barren ground populated with tufts of grass springing up from cracks. The only exception was a small sapling that’d taken root in the centre of the cliff, right near the edge. She lingered on it for a moment before passing it.

As always, the white-grey fog clung to the edges, concealing the drop into the abyss she knew was there. It seemed thicker, more malevolent somehow. It filled her nostrils with acrid smoke, leaving a bile taste in her mouth.

She unfolded her legs, letting the colour drop her feet to the ground and walked towards the edge, cloak whispering around her.

Nothing to do except go.

She was about lift herself into the air; move on to the next stage when something rippled the space behind her. Her head snapped around, fearing a breach of her mental safety. Colour came to her hand in preparation to strike back the intruder, then fell to her side again a second later in shock.

Coughing and pushing himself up from the ground beside the sapling, was Shift.

*+*+*+*

Shift got to his feet, head spinning and threatening to send him back down.

Fainted. Kione’s going to be bringing this up for the next week. Damn it all.

He rubbed the side of his head and looked around. Any thoughts of Kione’s attitude vanished as he realised he was no longer at Indigo base, let alone the control room.

Maybe that was all just a bad dream? he wondered. He tapped his foot on the ground. Nope. That’s definitely solid. So where the hell am I and how did I get here?

He spotted a cloaked figure stalking towards him, their body masked by indigo fabric. He was about to ask them if they knew where he was when they beat him to it.

“You need to leave,” they said, eyes burning in the shadows of the cowl. “Now.”

Shift stared at them in a daze. He knew that voice, or he thought he did. He peered inside the cowl, trying to make out the features of the person inside it before his eyes fell on to the amulet pinned at her chest marked with a raven design.

“A...Athira?” he said tentatively.

She ripped the cowl back from her head impatiently. Raven hair framed the face that seemed to be paler, more fragile than usual.

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