As if abruptly and uncomfortably waking from a dreadful nightmare, Katrina let out a loud and drawn out gasp. She hyperventilated, taking in rapid and heavy inhales. Her body shivered from a harsh, unknown chill while also sweating greatly. A strong flash of white lightning enveloped her vision. In the blink of an eye, everything within the room changed. The grinning demon below her who she had straddled to keep him pinned down vanished, and Katrina found herself kneeled, staring down at a bloodstained floor with rough claw marks on its surface. She looked around the room and saw the remnants of their violent struggle; the furniture had been toppled and the mirror shattered. Blood drops stained the sharp and uneven fragments, and several were still embedded in the paladin's back.<br/><br/>At first she was confused and disoriented, trying to put everything back together and comprehend what had just happened. Had or had the demon not been able to physically manifest himself within the room? He had explained he needed the artifacts to be able to do it. Eventually, she believed she understood the answer.  Everything that had happened recently between her and the demon had been an illusion, a trick on all five of her senses. Both her body and mind were convinced it was real. The damage to the room and herself had been done by her alone. She spat on the floor. Her tongue could still feel the disgusting tang of demon blood. Just a minute ago, she had thought of it as equally delicious as it was stimulating.<br/><br/><span style="color: Red">"Curse you, demon!" </span>Katrina whispered and slammed her fist down on the floor in anger. But the blame could not be entirely put on him alone. Like a foolish prey, she had taken the bait and fallen into his clever trap. In the heat of the moment, she had cast aside her holy devotion and discipline and given in to the tempting demonic rage and violence. The demon was satisfied for her outrage, delighted, while Katrina felt great disgrace. The only fortunate fact was that it had not happened while together with the other women. Their safety would have been endangered. From now on, she would have to be even more careful not to lose her control. The paladin spent a moment to take of the damages she had sustained during the illusion. She pulled out small mirror fragments from her skin, cleaned up the blood, finished the process by using a weak holy healing spell, and closed the wounds. There was not much else for her to do other than go to bed and let her troubled mind find some short-term peace. She could not predict the next day's events, but she was certain there was an impending battle. While she was almost fully covered beneath the thick blankets, she performed a short but meaningful prayer to calm herself, asking the light to let her find the strength to persevere through her quest until the very end, whether it would be success or her death.<div class="messageTextEndMarker"> </div>