"She's never going to wake up, it's just insane to believe such childish things," a young sounding man says. "Hush, don't say such things here. We need to give her hope, it's the least we can do," an older woman counters. "Gran it's been two years, nobody can survive that long without nourishment," the man argued. "I said hush Zika, nevermind be useful and get the doctor," that lady said in a gravelly voice. A sigh escapes her mouth, "That boy needs to watch his tongue," she mutters to herself.
The pain is too much, like a ship crashing into my skull, the heat behind my eyes like an inferno of stars being molded by unseen beings. Slowly she begins to open her eyes, weighted down by the pain of a forgotten affliction. "My head, it's on fire," Azura tries to say, but it comes out as a painful exhale. "My Gods, you're awake," the lady says hurriedly as she wraps her arms around Azura. "Yeah, and who might you be," Azura states plainly with a confused expression on her face.
The door creaks open, a man clad in a white uniform, with a tan mask over his mouth walks in. "Oh so you're awake," he says with a slight curve to his cheeks. "Oh doctor, she's saying that she doesn't know me. Please I beg of you help her," the old woman pleads. Azura looks at her hands, they're pale, as if they are made of porcelain. She looks up, "excuse me, but who am I?" She says confused and still hazy. "I see, she's suffering from amnesia. Worry not, your memories will return in time. As for who you are, all I can tell you is your name. Azura," the man in white says to her as he sits down. Her head still throbbing, she lightly says the word, "Azura." It feels alien on her tongue, she looks up to see the old lady on the brink of tears. "You're the kingdom's savior, you protected all of us from certain death," the lady says in a low sorrowful tone.
Azura closes her eyes, trying to recall anything. A light strumming of what feels like a massive expanse invades in her mind. Her eyes jolt open, as if she's been shocked. Wide in fear, she tries to continue the conversation. "And you, who are you?" She asks the lady trying to forget what she just felt, the unimaginable fear that almost crept into her mind. With a slight glint of hope in the old ladies eyes she says, "I'm Sera, I was your scribe for some time. Then when you faced the terrible monstrosity, it almost killed everyone, but somehow you stopped it. It fled after cursing you with the slumber you've found yourself in." Her eyes now squinted and slightly glazed remembering the past. Azura stays silent for a few seconds trying to grasp the sheer amount of information that was just dumped on her. "So what, I'm some hero now. What if I don't want to be your hero," she says in a defiant tone. Before Sera can talk again the doctor says, "You are whoever you want to be, nobody is trying to make you something that you aren't. Come Sera, let's let Azura rest for a bit." Outreaching his hand as to lead her out of the room. Hesitant at first she begins to walk with him, whispering to him.
As the door closes, Azura is alone. Looking around the room, she can see what looks to be a modest bedroom. The window is partially open, and a gentle breeze is wafting through. Her mind is still ringing. She tries to silence it, but as she does, she can hear whispers. Not corporeal, but within her mind. They are dark voices with the tone of madmen. "Who is that," she pleaded. "Show yourself," she commands. The voices only get louder, they speak in a language she doesn't know. Shoonth dair Zihnx, the voice says over and over again. "I, I don't understand. Please stop this," she cries as she covers her ears. Tears begin to roll down her face, in a fleeting attempt to silence the voice. The voices now roar in her mind, spitting out in an unholy scream, Shoonth dair Zihnx, Jhoo kull rahs.
As her head begins to ring again, louder this time she begins to scream, a cry for help. Moments later the doctor and Sera both rush into the room with pale faces. "Azura, what's wrong," the doctor quickly beckoned. "Make it stop, Stop them. Please stop them," her face a wellspring of tears. "Stop what," the doctor says calmly as gently puts his hand on her shoulder. "The voices, they're so loud." She cries holding her head. "Doctor do something, she's in pain," Sera pleads. "I'm going to give you something to help you calm down," the doctor announces while prepping a syringe. As he pricks her arm, her body goes limp, although the voice is still roaring in her head. "Welcome, Ancient one. It's been some time since you've visited us." The words echo around her, "Who is that, why is it so dark," she says but not with her voice, she can't move, can't see, but she knows she said something, somehow. "Ah, your will is as strong as ever, although it would seem that you've forgotten your duty." The voice said with a mischievous tone. Before she can even process what they told her, they plunge her into a blinding purple light, "Do not fear the unknown my Keeper, or it will devour you." the voice says as she wakes up on the bed again.
It's late, the window is drawn closed, the still air of the room gives her a moment to breathe. They said something about a keeper, and what was with that light? What the hell even was that place, it was so cold. A long drawn out silence follows her thoughts, the whispering, it's gone. She goes to stand up, as she does her entire body seems to hum with an odd energy. The once still air now dances with energy. She feels waves of something familiar, but she can't quite place it.
As she looks into the mirror she sees herself for the first time. A snow white elf with beautiful black hair, a slight shimmer of red glosses the depth of it. Her eyes are dark purple nebulas with crimson stars twinkling with unknown horrors. Her face has a gentle beauty hidden under the dry tears and dark circles under her eyes. She lifts her hand to her face as she brushes a strand of hair back, "That can't be a normal look. Perhaps when I was cursed, my appearance was altered," she remarks.
Azura's hand falls to her side, as it does the door creaks open. Her eyes snap towards the door, but nobody comes in. "Hello? Is, is someone there?" She asks hesitantly. A few moments pass, with no answer. She walks towards the door, as she goes to reach for the handle it closes with a click. Trying to twist the nob, but it doesn't budge. "That's not very funny, can you unlock the door now? I'm feeling a bit better, and would like to have a chat."she says knocking on the door.
A chill slowly creeps down her spine, "Something isn't right," she says quietly. She steps slightly back, as she begins to think about the voice she heard. It called her "The Keeper" keeper of what though, and why couldn't I understand the voice before I passed out. Is it even the same voice? I have so many questions, and yet a simple door stands in my way. A hum rings throughout the room, the door begins to warp and shimmer. As if reacting to her thoughts. The lock clicks again, as the door slightly opens revealing an impossibly dark space.
"Come in." A voice from the darkness announced. "We've been waiting," another follows. Is this really a good idea? Perhaps I should just turn around and go back to sleep. The fear still etching its way into her mind, she paused. Mumbling, "No, what are you doing? You wanted to know what's happening, at the very least this will help." Stepping forward into the dark room., a wave of chaotic energy washes over her. It's a sickly feeling that brings her heart up into her throat.
"Azura, your obligations remain. The mandate was clear to all, why haven't you taken care of them." Another voice states grimly. "I don't even know who you all are, as for the obligations. I haven't a clue," her voice trembles out. A long silence follows, the pitch black room filling with ancient air. A final voice, drawn from the deepest void, rakes through the room. "It has lost its memories." A chaotic symphony erupts, all the disembodied voices murmur, accusing and blaming each other. The same voice now holding an otherworldly authority states, "I will have, Silence!" As their declaration is made, all the voices systematically cease. "Azura, you are to recover your reflections immediately. You are useless to us without them. Leave this place and do not return, Once you become useful again we will summon you," the voice proclaims.
The room once an abyss of darkness fades into an intricate hallway, adored with a mix of dark wood and panels. "Oh yeah, just don't help me with the whole memory thing. I didn't need it," she whispers, annoyed. She walks down the hall, trying to be as quiet as possible. What do I do, I can't just regain memories, or reflections as they putit. As she comes to another door, she swings it open. Revealing Sera resting at a table, her head resting on her arms. Soft breathing fills the room, "Sera, are you awake?" Azura questions, she stirs gently. Her eyes tracing Azura's outline, "You shouldn't be out of bed. How are you feeling?" She asks concerned, "I'm doing better, I am trying to seek a way to recover my memories." She wants to say something about the three formless beings, but something urges her to keep quiet about them.
"Come sit, perhaps talking will help you a bit," as she gestures to the chair opposite her. Azura takes her offer of conversation, settling into the chair. Sear gets her a glass of water. She says, "at least your grace is returning. You always seem to glide when you're moving, it's quite captivating." Azura feels her face starting to heat up, "My my, still as bashful as ever. Worry not, you're too young for me." Sera teases. "I don't think that was necessary," Azura whispers to herself. "Sera, may I ask you some questions?" She asks plainly. "Of course, perhaps I should tell you of the day you fell into your coma." She says leaning back, touching her temples. "It was the heaviest snow fall we've ever seen. The day started as it always has, I was getting your tea ready. Then it happened, it appeared. Seemingly out of nowhere, that cursed being." She pauses, her hands slightly trembling. "Is it too much, truly you don't have to force yourself," Azura says, lowering her voice. "No, no it's okay. You need to know what happen." She takes a deliberate breath, it's deep and filled with terror. "As soon as I opened your chamber door, you rushed past me. Your face was so dark, it was like you were a different person. The kind and gentle elf I was accompanying was gone, replaced with something that simply didn't belong." Azura gives her a questioning face, "What do you mean? How can someone you've traveled with change so drastically," Azura's face now shifting to an even more confused state. Sera clearly seeing this, changes the subject. "I haven't a clue, but after you rushed out the door I caught a glimpse of it." Her face twisting in disgust, "It was inconceivable giant, the tentacles shifting anomalously. And it's face, oh gods it's face. It was like it crawled out of the depths of Sheol, A nightmarish rebuke to all that is holy." Her breath caught in her throat. "I-, I'm sorry. I, I can't. It's just too much," her voice shakes out. "That's enough, thank you. You have no idea how much this means to me. I'm terribly sorry you had to go through that." Azura tries to comfort, " You went through worse, you needn't apologize," she counters.
Azura pondered what Sera told her for a few minutes, the room filling with silence. Sera pacing around, trying to occupy her mind with something other than the horrors she just uttered. So what, I'm just some actor in the grand scheme of this reality. What reason could I possibly have to hide my darker nature? Especially if all I was trying to do was help. Or was I not trying to help. Perhaps this goes deeper than some surface level conspiracy.
"Sera, I think I'm going to head to bed. Sleep on what you just told me, do try to get some sleep yourself." She says standing up and leaving the room, Sera still pacing doesn't even acknowledge her words. Returning to the room she woke up in, she sat on the bed. A soft creak fills the room, what am I to do? Whispers begin to revolve around her, "Ponder... Cogitate... Visualize, what you are. The Keeper..."
Her body wants to fight the whispers, but her mind, it's inviting them. Allowing them to seep deeper inside her soul. Shoonth dair Zihnx, "unfold the weave, bend it once more."
Her eyes close, dark crimson and moonlit purple swirl behind her eyes. Pillars of impossibly black obsidian rise unconceivable into nothingness. Twin stars, clashing above. A hue of violent green, and inhuman magenta. "Welcome home, Our Keeper." She looks upon the vista, her mind shattering and reforming. The fibers of her being ripped from her. Rewoven into this new reality. "Wh- What, is this" she trembles.
"Carcosa," they harrowed.