<b>In Dreams</b><br/><br/>Darkness.<br/><br/>At least, that’s what she thought it was, at first; a void without form or colour. Her thoughts were distant, muffled somehow, as if they were reaching her only after passing through some invisible barrier. Where was she? Was she anywhere at all? She<i>had</i>to be; she could feel herself drifting soundlessly through the cold darkness.<br/><br/><span style="color: green"><i>Wait... I know this feeling...</i></span>The thought pierced the haze that had settled over her mind, shattering the veil of confusion. As the realisation dawned on her, an aura of dim illumination began to shimmer around her, expanding slowly outward until the shadows were all but gone.<br/><br/><span style="color: green"><i>The Fade.</i></span>She had suspected it before, but now she was certain. The impossible landscape twisted and writhed as she watched, like a stone road on a hot day. The broken-down buildings and seemingly-random objects were all reflections of mortal minds, those who stalked the Fade when they slept. She knew better than to pay the objects any mind; after all, she wasn’t there to observe the scenery.<br/><br/>She paused, a slight frown tugging at her lips. Why<i>was</i>she there? She couldn’t remember exactly what she had been doing in the waking world. Was all this just a dream, or was there some darker purpose behind it? She knew the Fade played tricks on the mind, could cause a person to forget themselves and go mad... had she lost herself already?<br/><br/>She let her blue-green eyes wander the murky sky until they fell upon the silhouette of the Black City. It was always there, even when she pretended not to notice it, its dark shadow seeming to shimmer in the distance, just out of reach. In the presence of that dark city, she always felt naked, exposed. She<i>was</i>naked, she realised with a start. It wasn’t particularly unusual. The Fade had a way of making her feel vulnerable.<br/><br/><span style="color: green">“Get a grip, Luna,”</span>she muttered to herself. The words had an odd resonance to them in the dream world, coming out much louder than she had intended them to. She shook her head, her brown hair trailing slowly behind her. She couldn’t get distracted here, of all places. If she let her mind drift, if she let go for even a moment...<br/><br/><span style="color: magenta">“Oh.. you poor... -poor-... thing.”</span>The realm seemed to flicker as a soothing, melodic voice reached her ears. Her heart skipped a beat, a shiver causing goosebumps to rise over her bare skin. A demon had found her. She had to be wary. She had to be vigilant. She had to be...<br/><br/>Luna blinked, and suddenly she found herself in the Circle Tower library. Rows upon rows of impossibly large bookshelves ran from floor to ceiling, stuffed to the brim with knowledge and adventure. A roaring fire danced in the hearth, the flickering flames casting a comforting orange glow across the floor. She smiled in spite of herself; Templar Darin had kept vigil over those same flames since he had found her shivering in one of the big reading chairs one cold day, unwilling to put the book down for even a moment.<span style="color: green"><i>The Fade is toying with you, Luna...</i></span>But part of her didn’t mind. She missed those comfortable days in the Circle Tower, not having to worry about blood mages or templars or abominations... or even how to gather enough food to live from day to day.<br/><br/><span style="color: magenta">“But I am glad... that you are here.. all alone with...”</span>The sultry voice flowed once more, everywhere and nowhere all at once.<span style="color: magenta">“...me.”</span>Even though she knew it belonged to a demon, she had a hard time finding it unpleasant. There was just something about its tone that soothed her, set her at ease.<span style="color: green"><i>That’s what it wants, though...</i></span><br/><br/>The creature made itself known soon enough, passing right through one of the grand bookshelves as if it were made of nothing but air. It was a beautiful thing - she had to admit that - as unnatural as it was. She<i>had</i>to look away, she knew, but her curious eyes refused to obey her mind. The desire demon’s purple skin seemed to glow, soft and inviting. She found herself wondering if it was as smooth as it looked. Her skin, pale as it was, wasn’t half as exotic... and its full figure was much more impressive than hers, lithe and elvish as she was.<br/><br/>Suddenly, she found herself blushing. This was ridiculous. Here she was, jealous of a demon! The thought was ridiculous. She was happy with how she looked. She tried not to think about it - after all, it wasn’t like there was anyone she was trying to impress. Her breasts weren’t large by any stretch of the imagination, but she liked them that way; they stood proud and kept out of her way. And while her hips didn’t quite flare out like the demon’s, they-<br/><br/>Luna blinked, feeling a bit flustered. She was still doing it. Why was she still doing it!? She draped a hand protectively over her chest and turned away slightly, watching with furious eyes and an even more furious flush in her cheeks.<br/><br/>And then the woman - if it could be called that - began to walk toward her. The knowing smirk on its lips simultaneously terrified and intrigued her.<span style="color: green"><i>Run, Luna, you silly, silly girl! Run!</i></span>But her legs would have no part of it. This was bad. Really, really bad.<span style="color: magenta">“Let us talk... I’m afraid you are not going anywhere just yet...”</span><br/><br/>It was so calm, so serene... there was no way it could want to harm her, was there? Regardless, her eyes remained defiant, and she did not move.<span style="color: green">“I...”</span>she tucked a loose strand of hair behind one long ear.<span style="color: green"><i>You have to be calm. Don’t let it entrance you.</i></span><br/><br/><span style="color: green">“I am Luna Uthariel,”</span>she said, keeping her voice as steady as she could. She gave a slight curtsey. She could fend off this demon - she just had to be careful. Her voice grew softer.<span style="color: green">“If means you will release me, I am willing to talk, demon.”</span>She sounded far more confident than she felt, but the demon’s dark eyes assured her that everything would be all right.<br/><br/>Everything would be all right, wouldn’t it?<div class="messageTextEndMarker"> </div>