A dark silhouette of a person cooed at a severely distorted image of a child curled up on the floor whilst raising its arm. I felt dread threaten to overwhelm me as we reached the scene. I knew the emotion wasn’t mine, but it’s simply not possible to avoid a Torment’s influence once you’re within its radius. The world around me seemingly distorted as the vague weapon-like shape in the silhouette’s arm started occupying more of my sight.
“I’m doing this BECAUSE I love you.”
The raised hand came down and the weapon impacted the curled up form on the floor. I felt searing pain spread throughout my body, causing me to stumble, before suddenly and violently being pulled backwards due to my companion falling over. I braced my legs and hoisted her up. Her face was twisted into a grimace of pain.
“I gave you everything – EVERYTHING! – you asked for, and this is how you repay me?!”
She gave me a quick nod and a weak smile before we both dashed in the direction of the Torment. My body was feeling sluggish and weak, forcing me to struggle with every step taken in the direction of the silhouette. Not even a breath later, my companion was upon it. Her weapon – a large flail – slammed into the silhouette’s side and caused it to collapse onto the ground, interrupting its next bout of verbal abuse.
Seizing upon the opportunity, I moved as fast as my legs allowed me to the unstable image of a child, which was now staring wide eyed at my companion. Out of the corner of my eye I saw color surrounding her, her magic’s flames erupting around her not even a moment later. I forced my attention to remain on the Torment itself – the little child now looking hopefully at my companion. Before it even realized that I exist, I leaned down and pulled it into my arms, holding it tight against me.
The Torment’s attention shifted over to me – the air I was taking in felt real again, grass beneath my feet seemingly alive once again. “It’s alright, you don’t have to bear it all on your own anymore.” the calm and comforting tone of my words was in stark contrast to my worried expression. I quickly scoured the area surrounding me while comforting the little thing. Color was quickly returning, but I couldn’t find it in me to care now. My blood ran cold in my veins as I saw the silhouette rise up behind my companion. It wrapped its inky black arms around her body. I could swear it was grinning as it did so. That’s when the bubble of color that was radiating outwards from the Torment reached it and my companion.
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As if annihilated by the overwhelming sensation of hope emanating from the Torment, the silhouette’s body started flaking and falling apart. To my absolute horror, my companion too was disintegrating, being taken away by the Torment’s reality sundering power. “It’s alright lil’ one.” I muttered, doing my best to keep an even tone of voice despite the tears streaming down my face. My companion’s face was a grimace of terror, looking at her disappearing body. A moment later she looked at me and gave me her best smile. “I’m gonna go ahead and join the rest.” I clenched my teeth at her voice, holding the Torment tighter, closer to me. “Don’t give up.” Her final words echoed through my skull as her very existence was sundered, leaving me with merely a ghost of her memory. My very soul was screaming out against the unfairness of the universe, but alas the only words that were allowed to escape my lips were those of comfort.
With the torment suppressed the storm started to disperse. The burst of color continued flowing outwards as the world’s life returned. A moment later, one wouldn’t even be able to tell that something was wrong here, were it not for me sitting in the middle of a plain holding a sleeping child.
By all measures, this was an astounding victory. A storm and its Torment banished with only a single casualty. Not only that, but it was stopped outside of the Lands Inside, thus unable to damage any vital infrastructure.
The people of my homeland get to live another day, see another sunrise. Millions of souls get to wake up tomorrow and go about whatever their business is. The fat fella over at the Rat’s Nest will get to drink his favorite beer this evening because of what we achieved here today. The merchants will get to travel safely and deliver supplies to other cities, making sure the people there are fed.. If they’ve the coin.
The guards will surely catch that thief that’s been giving them a hard time, and this little thing in my arms will regain its humanity and grow up to be a strong and amazing person.
Everything was going to be fine. And it all felt utterly hollow.
“Fen..” I weakly whisper my companion’s name.