[img]https://media.istockphoto.com/vectors/runner-run-away-from-zombie-group-in-the-graveyard-vector-id611986042?k=6&m=611986042&s=612x612&w=0&h=CkPxbpY9T4BKETmF341GVsuIIgTPDhm2IcNxNBhHD5Y=[/img]

[i]Run! RUN! R[color=red]UUUU[/color]N! They’re coming, they’re coming. [b]THEY[/b] are coming. Close, close…close. Too…[b]CLOSE[/b]. Thralls, liches, the dead. Oh…the dead. Friends, family. All surrounding the dreamer. TH. Approaching her from all the sides. EY. Left, right, the underground. The bloodcurdling [b]screams[/b]. ARE. The dark smell of death. Rotting bodies, blank stares in their eyes. COM. A fireball passing above the dreamer’s head. Explosion. Fire. ING! wake up wake up wake up wake please wake up wake [b]WAKE UP[/b] DO IT. W…ake…up. No more no more no more pleeasssee no mo…re! WAKE UP! I AM SORRY! WAKE UUUUPPP[/i]

With a jolt, Ashevelen stood up from the bed. Her face all sweaty, ears still ringing from the fireball thrown by Kara, a desperate effort that proved useless at the time. Strong shivers crossed her body as she grabbed her staff ready to defend herself against the dead. Still not recognizing where she was. Unfamiliar room, different smells. [i]MASK[/i]. A single thought going through her mind. Hand trembling, Ashevelen reached for the pillow where her mask laid on. [i]Why is it off? What have I done? Where am I?[/i] Questions shooting back and forth. Where was she? Why was her mask off? 

Suddenly a loud knock on the door startled her even more. “[color=gold]Who’s there?[/color]” shouted Ashe with a tremble in her voice. 

“[color=red]Ashe? It’s me. Can I come in? Please. Let. Me. In. [/color]” came from beyond the door. A familiar voice. A very familiar one. Who was that? Who’s voice came from the door?


“[color=gold]Who is it?! Make yourself known or feel my power! [/color]” she shouted back, as she tried to reach deep into the wells of her magic…only to find it empty. Tired. Restless. Surely there must be a reasonable explanation. 

[i]Knock. Knock. KNOCK[/i] three loud knocks came again. This time though, more desperate. Louder. Stronger.

“[color=red]Asheeeeeyyyy! L[color=blue]e[/color][color=black]e[/color][color=purple]e[/color][color=green]e[/color]t [b][color=red]meeeee[/color][/b] iiiiinnnn! PLEASE! PLEASE! PLEASE! PLEASE! Let me in! They’re coming! THEY ARE COMING! PLEEEEAAAASSSEEEE![/color]” shouted the familiar voice, their voice desperate. 

Ashevelen sprang to action, her hands going for the door. A lock appeared where there was none before. Not that she would remember but surely she would’ve seen it. With a quick move of her wrist, the lock opened and Ashe peeked through the door. Not fully opening it. Her staff…her staff was missing. It was right next to her. Just let it go for a second. Where? 

And that’s when she saw the half-eaten face of someone she knew. Someone…that died. Pushing at the door, throwing her away over to the other side of the room. It approached her. Step by step. Singing an old elven song. 

“[color=gold]NOOOOOOOO! Go back! Please, I’m sorry. I’m sorry! [/color]” 

“[color=red]If you were…I wouldn’t be dead now! But don’t worry, I’ll let you join me. It’s peaceful on the other side. Come…you'llloveitttt…[/color]” the same voice. That oh’ so familiar voice. The voice that once put her to sleep. The voice that used to sooth her to sleep and protect her from the made-up monsters of childhood. 

The screaming started again. Her companions' screams. Monsters everywhere. Their faces appeared on every surface. Their mouths whispered the same question “Why did you kill us? Why did you let us down?”

“[color=gold]I’m…I’m sorry. Please, brother. Everyone! I’m sorry!  [/color]” said Ashevelen as she fell on her knees, sobbing, hands over her eyes to avoid the horror that was about to befall her. Only that…it never came. The screaming stopped. Everything seemed to be frozen in time. The sound of her crying and her breathing was the only thing she could hear or feel. Taking her hands away from her face, the room was empty. As if nothing happened. The door was closed as it was. 

A loud creaking noise from above shook her out of her reprieve and with trepidation in her hearth, she looked up and…

“[color=red]Hi! Ready to… [b][i]DIE?![/i][/b][/color]” the voice of her brother said as it jumped from the ceiling on top of Ashevelen and started biting down on her. Only thing she could do was to scream, only that no sound came out. 
 
[i]That’s when she woke up[/i]

A sudden jolt startled the half-sleeping form of Ashevelen. Her mask secured properly on her face, staff close at hand. An old habit she learned from the Fingers. Be always ready for foul play, even in times of peace…especially in times of peace. 

Last night’s nightmare was just one of the many she experienced. The same dream over and over again. Occasionally, it would change up details, different monsters attacking or they would be in a city instead of the cave but it would always end the same. Wilham knocking on the door, half dead half not. Begging for mercy before coming after her. Every single time. 

A part of Ashevelen took a strange comfort in that. At least she was able to see Wilham. At least she was able to hear his voice once again. The only silver lining about the details changing was that it kept things interesting. At least she wouldn’t get bored while also being scared shitless every night. 

Looking around the room where she slept, Ashevelen took a deep breath and centred herself. Her nerves were still on edge from the nightmare but it wasn’t anything new. Over the course of the years she learned how to deal with it or better said, learned how to ignore it. For how long? It was a question she didn’t know how to answer. One day, soon, it’ll all end. Maybe by her own hand. 

Putting a hand within her armor, she took out a piece of paper and gave it another read. Looking for something, anything that might prove what she read was wrong but she couldn’t find anything out of the ordinary but after a few more tries, she couldn’t see anything and the sun creeped slowly through the glass window of the room. Illuminating it with a golden light. 

It was a simple room where she chose to sleep before meeting her companions that would join in the Delve. An inn with an already forgotten name. She arrived late last night and her almost sleeping mind didn’t remember much. Some money given to the master of the house, a key given for the door and that’s about it. Irrelevant memories overall. She knew she’ll probably die in the next few days. 

Before leaving, Ashevelen washed her face and dispelling the last bits of sleep from her face using a small bowl of water left on the table of the room. With a practised hand she grabbed a piece of cloth and started cleaning the staff. It had to be shiny. It had to be perfect. A staff is what made a mage, a mage or so her mother always said. It shows the others that she’s a respectable mage and certainly not a loser who killed her team. 

Morning preparations done, her staff looked pristine and everything in her inventory was nicely sorted out in her bag. Going for the door, Ashevelen took another look at the room before stepping outside. It was time. The last time she’ll see this room. Probably the last time she’ll see the light and if she somehow survived, it would still be months until she’d see it again. 

Ashevelen ate some quick meal or what passed as one done by the innkeeper before paying him a few pecks. He tried making some light conversation with her, mostly due to her mask which even in the early hour still had the few patrons looking at her in curiosity. The mask fully covered her face, nothing could be seen. Hair, eyes, mouth, anything distinguishing even the race was hidden from view. In other ways, she was a curiosity for most. 

Waving him off after eating her meal, careful to not reveal anything about her appearance. Ashevelen stood up and started walking. Her adventure, quest and ultimate death awaited and she was ready, happily embracing it.