You know how people always tell stories about waking up and not remembering where they were? This wasn't like that in the slightest. At the first moment of consciousness, Liris was acutely aware of her predicament. Even if she had forgotten in her groggy state, it would have rushed back with wild abandon. Namely, from the pain. It persisted still, at a lower intensity. Rest heals much, but a few minutes in the Brume could not be brushed away so easily. At least the headache was gone.

It was dim in the small room, no strange tint illuminated the corners. High on one wall was a small opening that allowed light to pass through, doubtless reflected many times from its source. That must have been what woke her. That, or the pounding on the door. Dust filtered off the wooden frame with each intense slam. Perhaps that mental ache would return sooner than expected. She rolled out of bed, leather shoes impacting the stone floor. Both knees buckled but she braced herself against the wall, it truly was a small room, and stood to her full height. Unlatching the door, she pulled it open before it could be beaten down.

Fist raised, a grizzled man scowled at her. "Was beginning to think you to be dead." He turned and walked away, leaving a bewildered Liris squinting into the brighter hall. "All the way down, first open room on the left. They're waiting." The words so carelessly thrown over his shoulder knocked loose the last of the cobwebs. In their place, clusters of panic. Waiting for her? Were there yet more steps on this treacherous climb? Had she not already stepped off the cliff and suffered enough from the speedy descent? She brushed furiously at her tattered clothing, shedding dirt and thread. Mind alert, it was only now that her body awoke. The pain didn't count.

Thirst, urgent and incessant. Stiff joints, sluggish muscles, but most of all THIRST. Her eyes flicked around the room, there on a tiny nightstand stood a beautiful ceramic jar. Rushing to the boring brown vessel, she tore it from its resting place and rejoiced at its weight. Was that a small mug sitting behind it? Whether it was or not, she never noticed. Dusty rim at her lips, she chugged half of its contents at an alarming pace. Quenched, for now, she carefully poured more water into a cupped palm. A quick splash on her face, and she was off. Wiping the remaining droplets away with each step, and desperately hoping her filthy clothing wasn't undoing the makeshift bath, she hurried to make her appointment. Whatever was in store, delaying could only worsen the outcome.

The hall was long. Many identical doors stood on both sides. She didn't bother to count. A gap in their regularity, and then a final door on the left, just like the man had said. It differed in appearance from the others. Common wood was replaced by stone tiles. It was partly ajar and strangely warm to the touch as she pushed it open. The room before her was markedly different. Firstly, it was round, even the ceiling. The dome stretched far above, leaving the room feeling much larger than its footprint conveyed. Unadorned, yet beautiful, the walls were polished to the point of reflecting the light from several sconces recessed along its surface. The floor was the oddest part.

It was also round, odder still if it wasn't. What set it apart was the second one. Another circle in the center, about ten feet across, was cut out and dropped by another ten feet. Around the upper portion were low tables with intricately carved chairs facing the recess. Several figures, all in opulent finery, were seated in said chairs...and turned to look upon her arrival. That's when the emotions decided to finally end their slumber. Panic had tried to rouse the others, but it took time for the rest to rear their ugly and pleasant faces.

Why her? Was this an execution? A sentencing? She recognized that shine in those eyes, unbridled greed. They surveyed her existence with a glance, judging, assuming. Run. She had to run. With a click, the door closed behind her and a rough hand clasped her elbow.

"Come along now."

That voice, she could feel the same scowl bleeding into the words. Woodenly, she didn't resist. Guided through a gap in the tables, the hand fell away. Before her was a steep set of stairs descending into the recess. It hugged the curve of the stone, narrow and final. What was happening?

"What's happening?"

She cringed at her audacity. Would they strike her and claim insolence? But, she wanted to know...understand. Why her? She was a nobody, worthless. Even the Guardian inspecting her eyes had said so. Not daring to look at the surely judgmental faces, she focused on the floor far below. Patterns were etched in its surface, concentric circles ending in a dot at the center. She traced them with her eyes, waiting. The only break in the curve of the wall was a small recess housing a pillar. Atop it was…a mouse?

"Pardon the crudity of Elbert here, we fear he was dropped when he was a child."

"Many times!"

Both voices were smooth, but nothing could bring comfort. The nearest carried a matronly tone laced with steel at its edges. The second stood in contrast, an overeager young man from across the room. Liris forced her gaze to take them in and found the covers matched the books. Both wore shimmering robes. The woman's was accented with red, perfectly matching the lace woven through her gray braid. The man's, boy's really, was as light as the sky. Did that mean…? He smiled at her shocked expression. Schooling her errant features, she took in the three remaining seated figures. The ever-scowling Elbert still stood behind her. She could feel his presence, not to mention, his loud breathing marked his location well enough. Those three looked disinterested, or maybe impatient? Nevertheless, they waited in silence.

"From the assessment of the Guardian, he indicated that you are a Unique...our first of the year. It is a high honor as well as a vast responsibility. Today we will test your gift and help you identify its various aspects. That is the role of the esteemed witnesses, sadly only three of which could make it."

The woman gestured to those stoic observers, still staring Liris full in the face. Resting on the table in front of each were loose papers, inkwells, and a few thick books. Liris looked back at the woman, the question evident on her face.

"Ah, as for me? I'm here to instruct and guide as best I can. Not only can using a gift be confusing, but it can be dangerous at times as well. After all, that's why we're conducting the test in this secure room."

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

"Excuse the interruption Madame Cealia, but that is my role as well. You see..." The young man glanced down at a sheet of paper. "...Actually, we don't have your name."

...

Oh! Her name, stupid.

"Liris."

A confused smile...he shook his head and continued.

"You see, Liris, I was in your shoes two years ago. Well, not literally of course."

A raised brow from Cealia. He blushed slightly and rushed to continue, words tumbling over one another.

"What I mean to say is that I am a Unique as well! Though you probably guessed from my robes. As I was trying to say, I'm here to make sure all of us up here are safe. And you too of course!"

A sigh from Cealia implied annoyance. Liris could read past it to the matronly affection deeper within. Cealia raised a hand before the young man could continue prattling on.

"What he means to say is that the safety of all will be ensured to the best of his ability. He will create a barrier across the top of this circle, preventing your gift from spiraling out of control. And that's only if it is a dangerous one. The name Unique was chosen for a reason. Now, shall we begin?"

No! But she couldn't refuse. The door was closed, Elbert was ready to deck her, and there was a Bruming Unique present! Even worse, one with barriers! There was no other option but to descend those stairs and face whatever lay in wait. She stepped forward and hovered over that top step. She hated this, why her? A hand was trembling. Clutching it close, she leaned over that precipice. There was no turning back now. She let instinct save her from demise. One step...another, down and down she went. All those faces disappeared beyond the rim, a small comfort but it was something. Too soon, there were no more steps.

She stood at the bottom, shoes touching the corner of the etching. Was it for some purpose? Just artistic? She couldn't say. However, that was indeed a mouse...in a cage...on a small pillar. Her mind flashed back to other pillars, screams, bodies. Exhaling, she returned. It looked peaceful, that little mouse, nibbling on grain in one corner but always keeping an eye fixed on her. Was this some esoteric simile for her situation? A cruel mockery meant to dishearten and subdue any who walked this path?

"A precaution, you see." The kindly voice reverberated in the sunken sphere, imposing. "When you trigger your gift, be sure to remain focused on the mouse...just in case."

Fair enough, if her 'gift' exploded minds or fire shot from her fingers, she could see why a victim was needed. Her legs shook. Weak! This was it...a single moment which would shape the rest of her life, even its length. Those round walls were closer. She blinked rapidly. Focus!

"Go ahead Yarth."

From below, Liris watched as Yarth reached out a hand and tensed his face. Springing from nothing, a thin barrier covered the top of the cylinder. Through its transparent form, Yarth was still visible, just blurry. However, the blurriness rippled across that plane in waves, seemingly at random.

"Alright, we are prepared. The easiest way to trigger your gift is to feel for it. Inside your mind, there will be a new muscle. Close your eyes and try to sense it. It will be tense, twitching like an eyelid or finger does from time to time. Relax it as much as you can, and yourself. Then, tighten it quickly and firmly. The rest will happen naturally."

Eyes closed, relaxing is not how she would have described it. There was no other recourse...she felt in her mind. At the surface were emotions, and it was a deep layer she could get lost in. Swimming through the myriad of fears she reached thoughts. These were no less messy. Flitting about, stacking, shattering, it was chaos. Deeper, she arrived at her. Soul, identity…she despised it. Deeper still was the physical. There wasn't much to feel, a sense of activity perhaps? Did she have to go farther in? Was it possible to get lost? For a second it was almost like-

There! A twitching ball of tension in the very center. So faint, but unmistakable. With shaky breath, Liris released the tension in her back, neck. Traveling up, she relaxed her face, and then...that ball. It resisted but with persistence, it calmed. Heart audibly thudding, she clamped down on it with as much pressure as she could manage.

~,’~,’~,’~,’~,’~,’~

The change was instant.

Pulse tripled while maintaining its strength. Cold...no, only the warmth had fled. It was not cold, she was sure of it. Empty? There was no movement, no breeze, not even her own breath. All was still. No voices from above, were they frozen in terror? Were they even alive? Her eyes shot open. Emotions and thoughts ran to hide, in their place, only wonder.

A glorious sight lay before her. Far beyond anything she could imagine, it hurt to look at. She stared into a void, endless, full. Faint wisps of violets and blues danced between clouds of black. Pinpricks of gold peaked out behind the dark masses. The distance. Vast was an understatement, so far...but only an inch from her nose. She dare not reach out, anything could mar its unfathomable allure. Tears formed at the thought of it breaking, threatened to fall. She stood, transfixed.

…

Stood? On what? She glanced down, rocks of all shapes and colors below her. They were gathered together in a circle, so small. One step and she would reach...fall off?...the edge. The edge, it moved! Organically, as though it drew breath, that edge grew and shrunk. It befuddled her mind. The stones on the surface didn't fall, they stretched with the edge...while somehow maintaining their shape. Her head spun, this wasn't right.

Fear, worse than yesterday, gripped her. It was smothering, sanity was slipping away. Wild eyes peered into the void once more, searching for something...anything. There was nothing, it was a void after all. Liris looked up, more void. Mustering up courage, she inched forward and peered over the edge. Void. Spinning transformed into whirling. She held her hands out for balance, but it was empty...nearly weightless. She tipped, a half step to the side, the edge shrunk towards her shoe.

Out...she had to get out. How?! Diving into her mind, she threw aside all the layers. Even in the panic, she felt exposed, vulnerable. Control had escaped her grasp. There in the center, it was so tense. She tried to relax, calm her mind, her body rebelled. Tighter and tighter it compressed, her neck was cramping. Filling her lungs with...nothing? No, can't allow distraction. More than any other moment in her life, she wanted to live. Flooding her thoughts with home, that dusty city, faces...those three poor faces...even the Brume. It led the way back to herself. There, the tension eased...wait…a little more. Now! She pulled with all her might, clenching fists, screaming into that silent void.

~,’~,’~,’~,’~,’~,’~

Warm, so warm. Knees failed her...solid stone. A voice, laced with hidden terror from far away. Why was it still so welcoming?

"Child! Where were you?"

Liris only managed a faint whisper, quieter than the scuttling mouse.

"I'm here."