Tamrissa winces as the sound of someone pounding roughly on hollow metal rings through her ears. She reaches out and touches the walls of her cage, breath coming out in short puffs as the memory and the illusion combined make her panic. Footsteps echo outside the metal box. Naraka.

"It's over. It's over," she repeats in a low whisper, the pounding on the box getting louder along with the footsteps.

A bright light against her closed eyes makes her jump. The sound of a door swinging open accompanies the light.

"No," she screeches as hands grab her and try to drag her out.

As they pull her out, Naraka's voice echoes in her mind.

I will never leave you.

She flails recklessly, tears beginning to pour down her face as his voice tickles her spine, sounding so real. A hand comes down across her face, knocking her to the floor...


The hands of the pale spirits hold her down and one floats above her, holding a cup that just recently held ice cold water. She turns her head to look around.
The curtains are still pulled back from the balcony door, the candles only dimmed, and she is laying on the bed as if she had just woken up from a nightmare.

...but it was no nightmare, she thinks to herself.

She looks up at the spirits and they release her, watching her a moment before floating back through the wall, cup landing on the bedside table. Her hands wipe at the tears on her cheeks and she sits up.
Before she can dry them all away, more flow down her face. She pulls her knees up to her chest and props her forehead on her knees, waiting for morning to come...or if she is lucky...dreamless sleep.