It all folds into itself...

[Amber Eyes]

((This solo takes place after "Inside the Fire"))

The voices never stopped. The images engulfed her mind. Kyla Orlouge was going crazy.
Heart racing. Mind Irrational. Palms sweaty. Voice shaky. Relationships vague.

And I’ve only been awake five minutes.

Sharp pains shot through every inch of her body like electricity. Her chest felt as though someone was squeezing the life from her, an act she would welcome at the moment. Her body went numb when anyone touched her. She barely had the energy to get out of bed and shower. She felt no control over her own body or mind. There were moments she felt as though she were watching her life unfold, unable to act, stuck in the grandstands. She had a hard time being around her family. The fear in their eyes was easily read, and it cause Kyla more guilt, she sank lower into her stupor.

This is what it feels like to lose your mind.

“The true test of sanity is in your mind.” Thanks Anita; that was helpful.

Hours upon hours she would sit by her ‘window’. Sei had dug a tunnel through the earth, and filled it with the insides of a telescope to give her a view of the world outside. He had done this to calm the girl and remind her of the beauty of the world around her, but it had a very different effect on the fragile mind of the mystic child. The view only reminded her she would never be a part of that beauty again. She had seen evil and it would never leave her. She had been part of dozens of unwilling sacrifices, had watched life leave the eyes of children as swords entered their chests. She had heard the cries of a helpless victim, begging her to show mercy. She had stood within the halls of Castus Malum, and watched her soul change.

You had no choice Kylana Sei would tell the youth. He had taken to calling her the nickname as a way to remind her that she was loved. It was a sound she associated with childhood, with her innocence. Both of these had been stripped from the girl. Kylana was no more.

“You would have made a choice. That’s the difference in us Sei. You would have tried, and even if you failed, you wouldn’t have lost your soul to that house.

Calbrena had given the girl what she asked for. Kyla had gained knowledge of evil. The part no one tells you is that you cannot see true evil and walk away unchanged. You either fight it or become it. Kyla had been too afraid to put up a fight. The halls of Castus Malum contained windows. Your mind had to be open to the evil to see through each one. With each passing day, more and more windows opened to Kyla. At the end of her sixteen days within those walls, Kyla saw all. The home itself saw what Kyla was becoming. Without committing one single act herself, Kyla had become a monster, one capable of seeing death and destruction without batting an eye.

Sei had rescued the girl from the evil place, but he could not erase the images from her mind. He could not turn back time and let her be a child again. Sei Orlouge had found something he was powerless to fight. There was no way to protect your kids from growing up and seeing what kind of place the world was behind the curtains.

[Amber Eyes]

“Kyla, you’re scaring me. I need to know you’re going to be okay. Please” Anita pleaded through the locked door. “Just let me in.”

Kyla rose from her chair by her window and walked slowly towards the door. It took her seemingly forever to will her hand to the knob. She turned it slowly, and turned her head as it opened. She walked back to her chair, trying to ignore Anita’s presence.

“Thank yo….” Anita was frozen as she took the room into view. There were strange markings burned into every inch of the walls. They covered even parts of the ceiling that were reachable from the furniture. “How did you make these?” Anita asked quietly as she fingered the artwork.

“I used the magic., I taught myself to create fire.’ Kyla stated plainly, not looking up from the piece of paper she now frantically wrote upon.

“What do they mean?” Anita asked, now for the first time taking in her sister. Her voiced raised when she didn’t receive an answer. “Kyla, what have you done? What are these symbols?”

“They’re my friends, they take care of me.” Kyla replied, still seemingly locked in her own world.

“Kyla you’re scaring me, please stop this!” Anita insisted.

“Don’t be scared Anita, I will always take care of you. My friends will take care of you too.” Kyla replied with no emotion. “They take care of all of us.”

“Will you let Papa in if I get him? I want him to see this.” Anita asked as she walked towards the door.

“All who enter will be protected….” Kyla mumbled quietly.

“I’ll be right back…I’m getting Papa.” Anita rushed down the hallway.

Kyla looked at the open door, and saw the evil entering. She ran as fast as she could and slammed it shut. She locked the deadbolt and jumped into her bed. She covered herself with the blanket, ensuring every part of her was guarded beneath it.

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Kyla took a deep breath as she finished counting. She could still feel it surrounding her, like a thousand tiny fingers lingering just above her cover.

“Please protect me, please protect me, please protect me, please protect me, please dear god protect me.”

[Amber Eyes]

She heard voiced outside the door. It seemed as though they were planning their attack. “Stay away!” She screamed over and over again. “My friends will protect me, you cannot harm me.” She would scream until her voice disappeared, and then would hide for hours. She slept in short bursts, never more than an hour or so at a time. The bags under her eyes grew with each hour, and she hated to look at herself.

“You’re a horrible person.” She screamed at her reflection.

“Yes, we are” It answered her. The girl in the mirror had joined the league of evil, Kyla was sure of it. She plotted its demise, she must take it out. That girl was trouble, and would surely find a way to let them in! I must stop her with any means necessary.

Kyla waited until the room was dark, the window was unable to pick up any light for a few hours each night, and began her plan. She stood at the end of her bed, and focused every shard of her energy onto her palm. A great axe began to form, each detail much more planned than anything the girl had created before. The blade was about a foot in width, and symbols similar to the ones covering the walls were carved into the blade. The handle was a light gray in color, with a notch for each death she took responsibility for. Thirteen in total, each one a silver hole in the center of the handle. She used all of her might and lifted the axe. Sweat poured down her face and her arms screamed with pain. The axe probably weighed nearly as much as the girl herself. She screamed with rage as she brought the axe down on top of the mirror. The entire vanity broke into two pieces, connected by only a few shreds of wood. Kyla covered the remnants of the piece of furniture with her extra blanket, then burned the symbols into the cloth. As she was surveying her work, she noticed a small knick in the wall. “You shouldn’t have done that Kyla.” A voice inside her head cried. Her axe had damaged the wall as it fell, creating a very small hole.

That must be how they were coming in! I must create further protection for this room, they will stop at nothing!

Kyla barricaded herself in her closet, amidst her bedpan and a large pile of leftover food.
The closet reeked, but it was at least for now, safe. She lay on the floor, her head inches away from her own waste, and cried herself to sleep.

[Amber Eyes]

She woke, sure that she had slept through their entrance. She couldn’t afford to let her guard down anymore, it may be the last mistake she ever made. The early morning allowed Kyla a sort of reprieve from the worst of her fantasies however; and she was aware she needed to clean up. No one in the house would be awake yet, so she quickly grabbed her bedpan, and her food tray and left her room. In some part of her mind, Kyla knew she was acting irrationally. The paranoia filled her thoughts however; and she was unable to control her own impulses. She crept down the large hallway and emptied her bedpan into the toilet. The food followed, and then she allowed herself to take a quick shower. She rinsed the tray and bedpan, before dressing and looking at herself.

There stands a fraction of what I used to be.

It was true, she was half the girl she used to be, but then again, she was so much more. She reached her bedroom door before she heard the footsteps. Panic filled her mind, before she heard her voice.

“Kyla, Kyla wait.” Anita stood there in her pink bathrobe, cautiously keeping her distance. “Can I please talk to you?”

“Of course, but we have to go to my room. Come on!’ Kyla ushered Anita towards the open door, and closed and dead bolted it behind them. “I can’t stay out there too long.”

“Kyla you’re really worrying me. Papa too, though he wouldn’t admit it. He says you need time, but I think you need me. I just want you to know, when you’re ready, I’ll be here. I will wait in the hall everyday for you., at this time exactly. The day you want to talk, just tell me.”

Anita stood and let herself out. Kyla sat on the bed and thought of what her sister had said. The words seemed so profound, and yet so meaningless. What did Anita know of Kyla’s plight? No, to let her in would only endanger her life. Kyla must face these demons alone.

[Amber Eyes]

Hours passed, and Kyla felt as though she hadn’t blinked. She checked her hole in the wall, to ensure their tunneling efforts had been fruitless, then sat down to write in her journal. She reread what she had written last.

They are coming. The book says they will be held off by the symbols, but they are still coming. What will I do? I have casted mystic protection on myself. The book gave me directions, but I am unsure of the outcome. Until they attack I won’t know if it worked. If only I could trust Sei, I could get help with the spell. No, I must do this alone, no one can be trusted, and no innocents can be harmed. Like she says while I sleep, I don’t need anymore blood on these hands.

A tray was pushed under the door, and Kyla’s head turned at the sound. She walked to the tray and looked it over. “Where did they put it today?” She scanned each part of the meal; eggs, bacon, grits, and hash browns. The eggs looked fine, if not a bit undercooked. The bacon and hash browns were perfect. The grits were just a tiny bit whiter than normal. “They’re getting sneaky. These are almost perfect. I must be more careful from now on.” She took the tray and poured the poisoned grits onto the tray in her closet. She slowly ate the rest of her food, testing each part before she let herself eat it. Eventually they would begin to poison more than one part of the meal and she must be alert and ready when they did. She changed her clothing after she ate and then sat at her window. She had taken to dressing more provocatively than she used to, hoping maybe the demons would take her alive if they were interested. Outside the window she was some strange men talking with Sei.

That traitor! How dare he invite these men into our home! To put me in that kind of danger, no, to put Anita and himself in that kind of danger! It’s criminal. The ‘Hero of Radasanth’? He won’t even protect his own family!

Kyla had to act. These men were here to hurt her. They would stop at nothing to get to her. Sei and Anita would both be dead by morning. No, she had to act. She watched under the door as Sei led the men to their rooms. One was next door, she would move tonight. The demons were now to close for comfort.

[Amber Eyes]

Kyla spent the day listening for each creak of the floor. She listened to each voice that passed. Yes, this man, Taka. He would be first. His accent was nothing she had heard before, he surely must be the one that led the group. She found a black shirt that covered her arms, and laid it on her bed. She did not have any black pants, but figured a dark gray would suffice.

She wrote her plans in her journal, down to the way she would grab the man. He seemed friendly enough through the doorway, and Anita seemed to take a special liking to the man. From their demeanor, Kyla was sure they had met before. Anita may even be a bit infatuated with him. Poor sweet Anita, if only she knew that the man she was falling for what only using her to get to Kyla. She would be heartbroken. “It must be done.” The voice in her head shouted, and Kyla knew she would obey.

She did not want to take any chances on having difficulty creating her blade, so she instead too her dagger out of her bag and laid it down as well. She stared out the window and watched Sei entertain their ‘guests’. The fool was trying to get them all killed. She would be the true hero after tonight. Her dinner came, and she quickly discarded the potatoes. Never trust mashed potatoes. She changed into her clothing, and watched the men’s feet as they went to bed.

[Amber Eyes]

She waited thirty painful minutes, then stood outside the man’s room. She waited until his breathing became steady, then opened the door slowly. It creaked, and she froze in place. She watched his face carefully, checking that his eyes were in fact closed before she walked towards the bed. She looked down at the white-haired man, and realized that this would be the first life she took with her own hands. Her hands trembled as she reached into her pocket and withdrew the silver dagger. Taka moved slightly and Kyla jumped. She hid behind a chair, and prayed he wouldn’t wake. She looked at her hand which she had cut in the process and pulled her sock off to use to stop the bleeding.

Here she stood, wearing one shoe, a bloody sock wrapped around one hand, and a dagger in the other. The picture of a demon killer. Kyla couldn’t help but laugh at the image. She took four careful steps and looked down at the man whose life she would take. All for the good of her family she reminded herself. She leaned in, and put the blade to the man’s throat. He grabbed her by each arm, and wrestled her to the bed. He pulled his own blade and placed it at her throat. Kyla had failed. The demon would kill her, then her family. The two biggest notches of all would be added to that axe after her death. Kyla Orlouge had just ensured the demise of those she loved most.

[Amber Eyes]

Kyla felt as though time had stilled. She could feel each of her muscles tighten; each breath short and shallow. She could smell the cent of her would-be killer, see his eyes. She even in that moment was able to see what Anita must have seen in him. No, this was a demon, and he was here to kill her. She must fight with whatever strength she had, if not for herself then for her family. She never meant for them to get mixed up in this. Sei had given so much for her and she would not be the reason for his death.

Kyla tensed her body and focused all of her energy into her right hand. A small blade began to form, the metal cool to her touch. She would simply wait until he lost attention, if only for a moment and take her shot. Her legs hurt from the weight of the man, and her mind raced as she lay there completely still. The man loosened his grip a bit when he seemed to grasp that he was in fact threatening a young girl. Kyla looked at the blade in her hand and then at the man who was seemingly starting to trust that he had the situation under control.

[Amber Eyes]

”Kyla? Taka? What is going on?” Sei’s ‘voice’ filled her mind. She immediately snapped to attention knowing she’d been saved. Moments later Taka moved off of the girl, and Kyla realized he must have been asked to do so by her ‘father’.

The ‘voice’ again entered Kyla’s mind ”You are confused, calm down.”

Every fiber of Kyla’s being demanded she stand up for herself. “No, he…he’s going to kill us, you don’t understand. You don’t know what’s going on Sei, he’s here to hurt us!’ Kyla screamed.

”No, he is with me. He is one of my nine.”

It took a moment before it all sunk in. The prophecy about nine men to unite Althanas, to save the world. It was all a part of it. Kyla slowly rose to her feet.

“Then you are with them?” She yelled as loudly as she could. “I should have seen it sooner! Does Anita know? Does she?

”Kylana calm down, talk to me, please.” The mute pleaded with his ‘daughter’.

“I won’t call down! I did this for us, days of practicing spells, learning ancient symbols. Just so you can go and ruin it?” Kyla gripped her blade tighter as she saw Sei’s lips moving. She lunged with all her might, her blade reaching for the mute’s throat.

[Amber Eyes]

Glass shattered. The sound was so loud Kyla screamed. She watched the shards fly as though in slow motion and waited for the pain to come. Instead there was another loud explosion as Kyla’s own mystic protection managed to go off. Sei’s eyes widened at the spell that Kyla was never taught. Shards of glass flew through the room, hitting the ceiling and coming back down.

It took Kyla a few moments to realize what had happened and stop screaming. She looked at her ‘father’ whose face was covered in blood. The injuries were minor, but all Kyla could see was the blue blood that ran down his body. The blood that connected them. Sei Orlouge wasn’t the enemy, he was her father.

“I’m so sorry….Papa.” Kyla couldn’t move, tears streamed down her face. She fell to her knees, “What have I done?”

In seconds, Sei was holding the girl. It’s okay Kylana, it’s over. He rocked her back and forth as though she was a small child. Just this once, she didn’t mind him treating her like a baby, she needed to be someone’s baby. She cried herself to sleep in his arms, repeating to herself, “It’s over.”

[Duffy]

It All Folds Into Itself Judgement

Story (16/30)

Continuity - 4 Several posts were short, sweet, but disjointed running into and out of the next.

Setting - 5

Pacing - 7

Character (17/30)

Dialogue - 7 Strongest part of the thread, it felt natural and unstrained and reflected your character and her emotions.

Action - 5

Persona - 5

Writing (16/30)

Technique - 6 Some good attempts at technique, but several slip ups in formatting/internal speech as shown below.

Mechanics - 4 Several places you didn't italicise internal speech. Several typos which can be improved upon with proofreading. With a higher technique score and persona, it's clear you're improving. Be careful not to use ellision outside of speech, there was only one case of this I caught, you're otherwise spot on distinguishing between speech and narrative.

Clarity - 6 Crystal clear, well done!

Wild Card - 6

Total: 56/100


Experience and Gold:

Amber Eyes receives 1087 experience and 125 gold.

As the only contributor, knaveofspades receives 50 experience and 150 gold.

Spoil: Mystic Protection: Please discuss this ability with the Realm of Greeting.