“You are not him.”

Morrigan whispered, her voice barely more than a breath. The figure that once brought her comfort now loomed over her, a symbol of her deepest fears and regrets.

"Focus, Morrigan," Methild urged, her voice steady and firm. “It is trying to mess with you.”

Morrigan wordlessly gripped her daggers tighter. Adonis opened his arms wide.

“Will you kill me once more child? Will you send my soul back to that demon’s side?”

“Fireball.”

It was Ama who was the first to move. She threw a fireball directly to Adonis’s center of gravity but it was blocked by a wall of thorns.

“Do you know what they did to me? How they tortured me? Will you really send your grandpa back to that hell?”

Adonis’s voice rang out behind the thorn wall, now sounding unhinged, mocking echo of the gentle mentor Morrigan and Amaterasu remembered.

“Poyraz purified and sent Grandpa Adonis’s soul to Ancestors. He is just an illusion, Morrigan.”

Amaterasu reassured Morrigan, knowing how she felt as Adonis was her mentor as well.

“Do you think that what that human said was true? All of our souls were sucked into hell! All the beastkin! All of our souls were made into demon’s playthings!”

The figure's voice grew louder, more desperate as if trying to instill doubt in their minds.

Morrigan closed her eyes for a moment, centering herself. She remembered the real Adonis—his wisdom, his kindness, and his sacrifice. She remembered Poyraz's words and the souls free of corruption flew into the air. This twisted mockery was nothing more than a cruel illusion, a desperate attempt by the marker to break her will.

"You are not him," Morrigan said, her voice now steady and filled with resolve. "You are just an illusion, a manipulation of my fears. I won't let you control me."

With a burst of speed, Morrigan charged forward, her daggers gleaming with determination. Amaterasu and Methild flanked her, ready to support her every move. The wall of thorns crumbled under their combined assault, revealing the twisted figure behind it.

The eyes behind the mask stared down Morrigan with murderous intent. It was clear that he wouldn’t go down without a fight. Morrigan could feel her heart pounding in her chest, but she forced herself to remain calm and focused. Instead of letting her anger and hate control her, she moved with a fluid grace, her daggers flashing in the dim light. Amaterasu and Methild followed suit, their combined attacks a seamless dance of magic and steel. The air crackled with energy as they clashed with the figure, their determination unyielding.

"Stone Wall!" Methild's magic sprang to life, creating barriers that blocked the figure's attacks, while Amaterasu's fire spells kept it off balance. Morrigan's daggers found their mark repeatedly, each strike a testament to her resolve.

The figure lashed out with tendrils of dark energy, but the group's coordinated efforts kept it at bay. Morrigan felt a surge of hope as they began to gain the upper hand, but she knew better than to underestimate their foe.

However, things could never be easy as Amaterasu’s form started to flicker. With the use of her magic, the rejection of Morrigan’s mind only grew more and it was clear that she wouldn’t last any longer.

“Morrigan, you can do it!”

Amaterasu's voice rang out, filled with unwavering faith before she disappeared. Morrigan’s heart ached but she knew that they were safe in the real world. She leaped into the air, her daggers glowing with a paradoxical fusion of shadows and moon light courtesy of Nocturna. The corrupted form of Adonis lashed out, its tendrils of dark energy piercing and fusing with his body. Morrigan dodged his monstrous claws and pierced his stomach. He tried to bear hug Morrigan but he was hit by magic missiles from Methild and recoiled back.

“You can’t win. You are weak. Your efforts are all for nothing!”

The twisted form taunted, his voice a distorted echo despite the fact that Morrigan’s blades tore his body to pieces. With every slash his body lost any resemblance he had to Adonis, turning into a twisted and roughly humanoid aberration.

Morrigan ignored the taunts, her focus unwavering as she pressed forward. The twisted figure's attacks grew more frantic, its form distorting further with each strike of her daggers. Methild's magic surged, creating barriers and launching spells that kept the creature off balance but even she was on her limit. Even though her Soul Sight allowed her to stay longer than Ama and Nocturna, the rejection of a mind was too strong, especially a mind as strong as Morrigan’s.

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“Morrigan! Remember that this is your mind! You can win! Don’t give up!”

With words of encouragement, Methild also disappeared from Morrigan’s mind. Now she was truly alone with her demons.

The aberration seemed to like its situation as it let out a sinister chuckle. Its body twisted and morphed even more. However this time it was different. Faces appeared from its chest, faces Morrigan recognized.

“You left us to fend for ourselves!”

“We needed your help!”

“My child! My child! Can you help me find my child?”

They were the faces of beastkin Morrigan freed by killing their slavers. However, she didn’t do anything else besides that. She told herself that she didn’t have the necessary skills to lead and help them. She told herself that she had done enough.

But could they defend themselves after she left their side? Could they evade being captured again?

It was a thought she avoided for a long time.

The twisted aberration loomed over her, its form shifting and writhing with malice. The faces of the beastkin continued to accuse her, their voices echoing in her mind like a relentless chorus of condemnation.

"You abandoned us," one voice cried out, its tone filled with betrayal.

"You left us to die," another accused, its words like a knife to Morrigan's heart.

Morrigan tried to ignore their voices. It was a lie. She met with some of the beastkin she saved. They were able to reach Whifur safely.

“Not all of us!”

“Not all of us!”

The voices erupted causing a wave of guilt to wash over Morrigan. She stumbled back several steps but her feet sunk into the ground. She covered her ears yet the voices only grew stronger. The aberration only grew bigger and taller, feeding off her guilt and uncertainty as it moved toward Morrigan. She on the other hand sunk deeper into the ground.

“Give up. It will be all over soon.”

(You are being affected by Forsaken Echos.)

(Your willpower decreases. You have fallen into despair.)

Countless voices whispered to her as the aberration expanded its body like a cursed blanket to cover Morrigan. She knew that if it covered her she would fall into the same mud Ama and others saved her from. Yet she couldn’t resist. Maybe that was what she deserved…

The aberration tried to wrap around her body. Morrigan closed her eyes and waited for the inevitable sensation of drowning. Yet, it never came. Morrigan slowly opened her eyes.

“Father?”

Two golden eyes identical to her own stared back at her with a gentle smile. Morrigan’s breath hitched as she gazed into the golden eyes of her father, their warm light cutting through the oppressive darkness. The accusing voices of the beastkin faded to a distant murmur, replaced by the gentle hum of a soothing presence.

“Father?” she repeated, her voice trembling with disbelief and hope.

The figure of her father stepped forward, his form solid and real amidst the surreal landscape of her mind. He reached out, his hand warm and reassuring on her shoulder.

“You’ve come so far, Morrigan,” he said, his voice calm and steady. “Remember who you are. Remember why you fight.”

Morrigan felt a surge of strength and clarity. She remembered her father's teachings, his unwavering support, and the values he instilled in her.

(You resisted the effect of Forsaken Echos.)

She pulled herself free from the mud with a great effort. The aberration hissed and writhed, its form becoming more chaotic as it sensed Morrigan’s renewed determination. The faces of the beastkin twisted in agony before melting away, leaving only the monstrous core of the creature.

Adriel Blackclaw, protector of beastkin, founder of Whifur, and father of Morrigan put his hand on her back. It was strong, warm and reassuring. Morrigan stood tall, her father’s presence bolstering her resolve.

“You became so strong, my little girl. I am proud of you.”

Morrigan’s heart swelled with a mix of pride and determination at her father's words. The dark, oppressive presence of the aberration seemed to shrink in the face of her renewed strength.

“Thank you, Father,” she whispered, her voice steady and filled with resolve. “I won’t let you down.”

The twisted aberration lashed out, its tendrils of dark energy more frantic and desperate than before. Morrigan met each attack with a fluid grace, her daggers dancing through the air with precision. The presence of her father seemed to guide her movements, lending her the strength and clarity she needed. With a final burst of energy, Morrigan lunged forward, her daggers imbued with the combined power of moonlight and shadows. The blades struck true, piercing the heart of the aberration. The creature let out a howl of agony, its form dissolving into a cloud of dark mist.

Morrigan stood tall, her breath coming in steady, measured gasps. She looked back at her father who was looking back at her with a proud smile on his lips. Morrigan took several steps and fell into his arms.

“I missed you. I missed you so much.”

Tears welled up in Morrigan’s eyes as she buried her face into her father’s chest. He gently patted her hair.

“I was watching you. I know how much my death hurt you and your mother. I am sorry.”

Morrigan clung to her father, her tears soaking into his tunic as she let the weight of her emotions flow freely. Adriel's embrace was warm and solid, grounding her amidst the turmoil of her thoughts. For a moment, she allowed herself to be a daughter again, not the warrior burdened by the expectations of the world.

"You have nothing to apologize for," Morrigan said, her voice muffled against his chest. "You did everything you could to protect us. It's me who should have done more. I should have stayed to help those I freed."

Adriel gently lifted her chin, his golden eyes meeting hers with a deep, abiding love. "You have done more than enough, Morrigan. You have fought for your people, for those who couldn't fight for themselves. You cannot save everyone, and that is not your burden to bear alone."

Morrigan nodded, absorbing his words. She had carried the guilt for so long, allowing it to fuel her actions but also to weigh her down. Her father's presence, his reassurances, were a balm to her soul, reminding her of the strength and compassion that had always guided her.

“Thank you, Father. Thank you for everything.”

The mind space surrounding them started to fade away, implying that Morrigan was about to wake up.

"You are strong, my little girl. Stronger than I ever could have imagined. But remember, it's okay to lean on others. Your friends, your allies—they are your strength too."

Adriel's form began to shimmer, his presence starting to fade. "I must go now, Morrigan. But I will always be with you, in your heart and in your memories."

"Goodbye, Father," Morrigan whispered, her voice choked with emotion. "I love you."

"I love you too, my brave warrior."

With those last words, Morrigan Blackclaw opened her eyes, free of corruption and safe.