I needed to confront my sister. While I remain confident in the integrity of my own mind, if there was a point during my investigations where I was no longer fully rational it would be at that specific hour. With the recent revelations swirling within me I hasted through the seemingly unending corridors of the mansion, desperately searching for her, hoping that her mere presence might cast away those inflamed shadows that had so gripped my heart. I rushed through the corridors searching for my sister. The candles cast shadows playing a grotesque dance across the walls of our manor. Outside the setting sun slowly cast the deep pines surrounding the manor into darkness. The cool summer evening swept into our house but a gloom hung over Castiel manor that evening, a gloom I could not dispel. I flung open the doors to the main hall and swept a desperate gaze across the room. There she was, my sister. I saw her and my heart sank. The crown prince was with her. Visiting our manor at such a late hour. He kneeled in front of her, offering her a ring of solid gold. With a giggle and tears of joy in her eyes, she accepted. My own sister. I backed away from that scene, turned and fled that room. I found an empty place to slip away to and sat down next to the wall and trembled.
There was nothing left. I finally understood. She would not stop. Her vision had extended to times and spaces far beyond what any one of us had ever dared to peer into. She was set and ready. She would drag our country into that cataclysm that steadily grew in some soon to be manifest future. Not my own flesh and blood, not my family, but That Thing That Had Inhabited my most darling sister would stand with her fingers stretched deep into the very heart of our realm. But before I could even begin to conceive of what to do next I heard the servants shout for me and I was called down into the main dining hall.
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At no point in my life have I had a more awful and strenuous time than that very same evening, during our large family dinner. To pretend that we were still a family. To watch the fawning looks of my parents at That Thing Which Inhabits, overjoyed at the power and prestige she had brought to their house. Wholly unaware of its true nature, of it being an outsider, an alien thing from worlds unknown. What could I possibly say to convince them? Nothing, there was nothing. They would sooner think me mad. It took every ounce of my will to not let go of myself and let out the most horrified wailing scream yet no one seemed at all aware of my inner turmoil. I kept my outward expressions under the strictest control, my face set in a mask as if made of porcelain. I felt like porcelain, cold and pale as if all my blood had left my face. Still no one noticed and I heard myself – my own voice – offer pleasantries and congratulations to the coming marriage between That Thing and the crown prince. All the while my feverish mind ran wild. Was this detached feeling how my sister felt? Had That Thing trapped her within her own body, made a jail out of my sister's own self? Was she aware? Had she been screaming and wailing inside, begging her parents, her family, me, anyone to hear her? Or had she been cast away from her own self like some rag, passed away in that terrible fever without even a funeral, no priest to read her rites, no memorial service, no prayers for her soul? I neither knew nor was there any way I could know. I needed a way to stop That Thing. Whatever the coming future would hold, whether she’d bring us triumph or disaster, I needed to stop her. Whatever her true motives, this creature, this alien thing, whether demonic, angelic, or otherworldly, That Thing That Inhabits had still taken my sister from me. For one terrible moment, I considered a most brutal act. But whatever the mind that now possessed it, it was still the body and face of my sister. I could not bring myself to hurt her. I knew that even if I summoned the courage, once I saw her face any will to go through with such an act would leave me. I am sure if my sister had been in my place she would have had the courage, but I was simply not as strong as her. But vengeance lay in the history of our house, and the need for vengeance coursed deep in my blood. It did not leave me. I could feel it smolder in my heart with each beat. The iron that lay at the core of my self was now set to a slow flow stoked by that unrelenting fire. Whatever her plans were, I needed to hamper her. Somehow, the dinner ended and with a weak smile and an apology – citing some temporary bout of weariness – I returned to my room, collapsing into my bed as I held down my tears.
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No matter how much I pondered, I could see little I could do to weaken That Thing Which Inhabits political positions. From matters of governance, economy, and military, she had them all wrapped around her fingers. Recently I had heard she had gone so far as to approach the young high priest, opening up a road into the church. To my knowledge there was only one person whom she feared and oddly one with no real power. And so I once again made my way to confide to Miss Carmen. To this day I am not sure exactly what I meant to tell her but as it happened I had scarcely sat down in her private room in the Academy dorms before I broke down in tears and confessed all things to her. As she served me tea and sought to console me, I fully believed she would either dismiss my claims as the mad ravings of one clearly suffering a breakdown, perhaps chase me out of her room or even inform my family. Instead she believed me. Shocking as that was, it seemed that she had some insights as to my sister’s condition that when added to my own conclusions regarding That Thing Which Inhabits softened whatever natural skepticism would ordinarily arise from such extraordinary claims. Attempting to provide me with a measure of relief she pointed out that whatever this entity was it must still be bound to some laws of magic and nature, perhaps unknown - perhaps merely unheard of - and suggested we look into the possibility of exorcising whatever creature had come to Inhabit my sister's body. Hope now welled up inside me, like cool water to temper my anger and strengthen my determination. I took the tome Iyakayan over to her room that same evening and together we set out to research its most arcane theories.
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It would take us many weeks of steadfast research before we unlocked anything of use. During that period That Thing Which Inhabits seemed to think little of us, so busy she was with her own preparations for her wedding and whatever great cataclysm of war and horror that still brewed just beyond the horizon. Myself I could think of little else but the arcane theories outlined in the Iyakayan. If it were not for Carmen’s gentle insistence I would have neglected my mundane studies entirely. As it were my grades still dropped significantly much to the concern and scolding of my parents. It stung but while I found I still loved them dearly – even though I perceived them as having grievously failed their oldest daughter – I found I could no longer respect them in the manner I used to. With my continued misbehavior – and with the reasons behind that misbehavior left unsaid – a rift grew between me and the rest of the family. This would continue until the end of the summer when we finally grasped enough of the theories of otherworldly boundaries to formulate a banishment ritual. We would cast out That Thing Which Inhabits from the known world and back to whatever set of unknown space it had originated and hopefully – so be it a small hope – summon the spirit of my sister from that same space back into her original body. Carmen seemed scared and nervous at the prospect but after some hesitation she agreed to help me.
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Our land contains many ruins and abandoned structures from times long past, and it was one such structure that I selected as the most fitting for our attempt. An old stone temple, quite a bit into the forest but still accessible from the manor by a few hours on horseback. That solemn gray structure stood perched on a small hill, overlooking the middle of a glen. Once one or two hundred years ago it must have been close to some small village or loggery but whatever people had once inhabited that area the forest had long since reclaimed their humble dwellings. Only the temple remained a solitary reminder of what had once been. Its windows were simple stone structures, open to the outside. It was a building meant for ceremonies, not habitation. It should do well. It took many days to prepare for the ritual, smuggling candles and incense out to that temple, meticulously drawing in marker-chalk the most intricate ritual circle I’d ever devised on that cold stone floor, and memorizing every syllable of the necessary incantations to memory, burning it into my mind to the point where I worried about chanting in my sleep. But after many stressful days and evenings the ritual was finally ready.
All that remained was to bring That Thing Which Inhabits to the building so that the ritual might start. As a respite from the wedding preparations I invited her for a short ride through the woods and a picnic. My sister's face shone back at me with a joy that was not hers and readily accepted. Only two guards accompanied us. The wilds around the manor were safe, any danger was inconceivable. That Thing Which Inhabits chatted idly as we rode, speaking of seemingly meaningless pleasantries but with the knowledge of her true nature I could see past her words. I perceived her intent as clear as day. The subtle questions to gauge my response, the furtive glances to check my reactions. The subjects were carefully selected to match what she thought I’d want to hear. She worked on me like she had so many others, likely had worked on me since the time she woke up in my sister's body. I could only thank whatever stroke of fortune or divine blessing that had rendered me resistant to her manipulations. As we sat down to have our picnic I handed both guards my own specially prepared sandwiches. An odd gesture from me in particular but they both dutifully ate of them. So far had my blood been set to steel at this point that I felt no shame in becoming a poisoner and as the guards fell asleep I grabbed my sister's body by her neck and forced a rag soaked in potent sedative over her mouth. I had stolen both the sedative and the sleeping drugs from the Academy's alchemical lab, a theft I was certain would be discovered far sooner than the lost tome Iyakayan. Fully set on my chosen course I checked the breathing of both the guards and my sister's body. They all seemed stable. The dosages had been correct.
With strenuous effort I tied up my sister and dragged her to the horses. It took three attempts before I managed to lift her up and place her over her saddle. Not letting my aching arms or the shortage of my breath deter me I mounted my own horse and holding the lead rope of my sister's horse I rode onward towards the temple. Carmen met me there worry written all over her face and helped me carry That Thing Which Inhabits into the central chamber where we carefully laid her down in the ritual circle. As we did she groaned and started to wake, groggy but with increasing alertness. Carmen gave me a last scared look and headed out to grab her own horse and ride away. She was to keep herself at the edge of the forest and should our disappearances be noticed she was to lead any search party astray. While the stone temple was secluded it was by no means unknown and my family employed many skilled woodsmen and well-trained hunting dogs. I had little doubt they could find it eventually if given time. I started the ritual by double-checking that my sister's body was securely tied down and by starting to light candles placed all around the room in a highly specific order. As my sister woke up fully an endless string of questions and pleading started. I kept quiet. She asked me what I was doing, and why, and she pleaded with me, cited our familiar bonds, pushed herself into the role of my sister yet she was nothing like her. I had been a fool to ever fall for this twisted facade. I kept silent least any retort of mine would snap the leash I held tightly on my anger. As I started the chants it became easier to focus. Magic was always a costly prospect and as I chanted small pieces of my soul started to disintegrate and the released power flowed into the ritual circle causing it to glow in an ethereal blue. Should I let too much of myself fall into that ritual circle the damage to myself would become permanent if not fatal. I kept chanting, sparing only a thought that I should have gagged That Thing Which Inhabits and that I was lucky it had not displayed some unknown ability that might have let it disturb my attempt to exorcise it.