Morrigan was sinking.

She had been sinking for a long time, deeper and deeper.

The place she was in didn’t have any lights but Morrigan knew that she wasn’t sinking into the darkness. She knew the darkness. She knew how to use it, how to wield it.

This wasn’t darkness. This was mud. It was thick, foul-smelling, and suffocating.

Morrigan couldn’t breathe. Her lungs burned but she gritted her teeth hard, not daring to open her mouth a bit. At first, she did open her mouth as the natural reflexes of her body ordered her to open her mouth to get air however, the only thing she got was a mouthful of mud. It was disgusting. So disgusting in fact that Morrigan didn’t dare to open her mouth again, no matter how dizzy she felt.

A part of her wondered how she wasn’t dead yet some time ago. She hadn’t taken a breath for a long time, so long that she had forgotten what air felt in her lungs. But even her curiosity faded away, replaced with the sensation of suffocating.

In fact, everything she had was being overwhelmed by that same sensation. Her memories, dreams, and sense of self were all being washed away by this oppressive mud. The only respite she experienced was the times when familiar voices called to her. When that happened the speed she sunk slowed down, the mud became less suffocating and she saw a glimmer of light.

She tried to remember who the familiar voices were. She was sure deep down that she knew them. Yet no matter how much she tried to remember, she couldn’t.

“?_!^’!’^^”

Someone called to her.

Again.

And again.

“Morrigan!”

Something, someone burned away the mud surrounding Morrigan. A hand reached down for her.

“Grab my hand!”

Morrigan's mind swirled in confusion as the voices echoed around her, distorted and fragmented like shards of a shattered mirror. She strained to make sense of them, to grasp onto any semblance of clarity amidst the chaos.

"Who are you?" she whispered hoarsely, her voice barely audible amidst the oppressive weight of the mud.

But then, amidst the turmoil, a voice cut through the darkness like a beacon of light. It was clear, warm and friendly.

“Morrigan!"

With a jolt, recognition surged through her. It was a voice she knew, a voice she trusted. It was the voice of a friend, a comrade-in-arms who had stood by her side through countless trials and tribulations.

Driven by instinct, Morrigan reached out, her fingers clawing desperately through the thick sludge until they found purchase on the outstretched hand before her.

With a surge of strength she didn't know she possessed, she pulled herself upward, inch by agonizing inch, until finally, she breached the surface of the suffocating mud with the help of the hand reaching for her. Gasping for air, her lungs burning with newfound freedom, Morrigan found herself face-to-face with her savior.

“Ama.”

She weakly murmured as the fox beastkin pulled her closer for a hug. Morrigan buried her face in Amaterasu’s embrace. For a moment, time seemed to stand still, the weight of the mud and the darkness fading into the background as the bond between them grew stronger.

“Uhum.”

Someone cleared their throat to get their attention.

“I understand what you are feeling but we are not out of the woods yet. If Morrigan recovered her sense of self, we should move on.”

Morrigan turned back and saw the elf speaking. It wasn’t Elandris but a female one.

“My name is Methild. I am here to help. We are inside your mind.”

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

Amaterasu helped Morrigan to get up. She held her head as what happened slowly returned.

“Is everyone okay? Were you able to stop the demon invasion?”

She asked worriedly.

“It is okay, Morrigan. We were able to stop it.”

Amaterasu put a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

“You should worry about yourself now. Can you tell us what was the last thing you remember?”

Morrigan furrowed as she tried to remember. Her head was a mess and focusing seemed impossible.

“I was fighting against the same armored man we met before. Anything after that is a blur.”

Methild nodded understandingly, her expression sympathetic yet determined.

“Currently contiunious waves of demonic energy are trying to enter your soul. We think that they are being drawn into some kind of signal or mark inside you.”

Morrigan looked at Amaterasu for guidance.

“We think that it was put there by Grandpa Adonis back then. I am sorry, Morrigan. I couldn’t detect it when I checked you for any kind of problems. It is my fault.”

Amaterasu avoided meeting with Morrigan’s gaze.

“It is not her fault. It was a small, inactive thing. The only reason I could detect it is because of this.”

Methild pointed to the golden cross-shaped mark on her eye.

“The blame is on me. I should have been strong enough to resist this.”

Morrigan bowed her head. She held no resentment or any kind of negative feelings towards her best friend. If she was strong enough she wouldn’t have been caught by corrupted Adonis. If she wasn’t weak she would have bested the armored man before he could pull this kind of trick.

“We could point fingers at ourselves after we get rid of the marker. We don’t have a lot of time. Not only the demonic power could invade your soul at any moment, but our presence in your mind is hard to maintain.”

Methild raised her hand which became translucent for a brief second before turning back to normal.

“We are outsiders to your mind. Even though you know us, it is an involuntary reaction like laughing when someone tickles you.”

Nocturna poked her head from behind Methild as she explained. She shyly waved her hand to Morrigan.

“Hi. I am here too.”

As the group discussed their next steps, Morrigan's mind raced with a mixture of confusion and determination. She couldn't afford to dwell on the past or assign blame—not now when the immediate danger was so clear and present. With a deep breath, Morrigan pushed aside her doubts, her mind sharpening with newfound determination.

"Then we need to act swiftly," she declared, her voice firm despite the lingering traces of fear. "We can't afford to let this marker continue to endanger me or anyone else."

Methild clapped her hands with anticipation.

"That's the spirit. We are currently in your mind space. We will have to move through your memories. I know it can be embarrassing but no one here will talk about what they see here outside. I promise on Mother."

Morrigan nodded, steeling herself for the journey ahead. Despite the discomfort of having her innermost thoughts and memories laid bare, she knew that uncovering the source of the marker was paramount to their success. With Methild's guidance, they delved deeper into Morrigan's mind, navigating through a labyrinth of memories, emotions, and experiences.

“I remember this.”

Amaterasu said as they walked inside a cave. The moment they stepped inside, a bolt of lightning jolted across the sky and rain started to fall.

“I remember this too. What we were looking for?”

Morrigan asked.

“A blue mockingbird.”

Amaterasu answered with a smile. Methild and Nocturna looked at each other with curiosity but didn’t ask to not intrude on their moment. The rain, however, didn’t have the same sensibility as it showered the outside with massive amounts of water. The water started to flow inside the cave.

“If this is a repeat of my memories we should get out. This cave will be filled with water soon.”

Morrigan said while keeping her cool. Methild shook her head.

“The marker is deeper inside. Mind spaces are weird and irrational places. It is highly that this cave leads to some other memory instead of being a dead end.”

The level of water rose to their ankles but the group followed Methild deeper into the cave.

“Ah, if it is not a problem can I ask what happened?”

Nocturna asked.

“We were trying to find and catch a blue mockingbird. Grandpa Adonis told us a story about how catching one would bring one year of good luck and being kids we tried.”

Morrigan started to answer.

“We tried to hide in this cave when the rain started but we couldn’t notice the water flowing here. We nearly drowned while trying to get out.”

Amaterasu finished the story. Even though it was a short story, the water had already risen to Nocturna’s stomach level. "We need to find a way out of here, and fast," Morrigan urged, her voice tinged with concern as she scanned the cavern walls for any sign of escape.

“Can’t you guys use magic to do something?”

Methild nodded in agreement, her brow furrowed in concentration as she searched for a path forward amidst the rising floodwaters. With a flick of her wrist, she conjured a shimmering barrier of energy, temporarily holding back the deluge as they pressed onward.

“It won’t last. This is your mind Morrigan. The more we use magic, the more we are recognized as an outside force which will in turn force us out of your mind quicker.”

“Can’t she control this if it is her mind?”

Nocturna questioned. Methild looked at Morrigan as if she was calculating if she could do that.

“It is hard. For example, don’t think the number 5.”

Nocturna furrowed her brow in concentration, trying to heed Methild's instruction. But the more she tried not to think about the number 5, the more it seemed to creep into her mind, stubbornly refusing to be ignored.

“I understand…”

Nocturna said weakly. The group pressed on, their footsteps splashing through the rising waters as they searched for an escape route. The cave seemed to close on them while the water rose, forcing them to crawl. They endured it until they managed to find a tiny hole and forced themselves to go through it everyone barely squeezing except petite Nocturna who had no problems.

The group gasped as they escaped the claustrophobic cave.