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Carnival of Light 1: Beyond the Veil

She couldn't remember when she walked into the bathroom, or how long she had stood there. She was transfixed by the mirror, the one where Laughing Jack had written his initials. The line between dream and waking had blurred beyond recognition or question. She could hear faint, haunting music coming from beyond it that beckoned her. Dim golden light seemed to seep around the edges, expanding until that was all her eyes could see. Adara started to float and merge with the light. Next thing she knew, she was standing in front of two towering white marble pillars entwined with ivy and red roses in a forest. The gold light separated into sparkles that alit on the trees, bushes and dirt path before her. She felt an irresistible urge to follow it. Waking logic would have screamed at her to beware, but there was no such awareness in this place.

The strains of an eerie, but hauntingly beautiful song started to play. The notes filled her with longing and excitement, leading her faster down the path through the woods. The firefly-like lights danced around her as though sentient. They circled around her in quick spirals, hovered bobbing in a figure eight, and sometimes paused in front of her before zipping out of sight. There was a presence to them, young and playful that she found enchanting. She looked behind her, but the mirror was gone. She could see only more trees and darkness.