A vast, inky black void swirls with stars around us. We are currently seated at an outdoor patio table I have brought out and drinking some tea. I have just heard some very troubling news from a ‘dear’ friend of mine. And I suppose for the sake of introductions I should describe myself and my companion.

I am an average height female humanoid right now, dark skin like I was born somewhere tropical with pale, white scarring covering my shoulders. My eyes are similar to the void we currently sit in, black and inky like the night sky save for the bright, green, four-pointed star in place of any pupils. I have long dark, green hair like tentacles that have been stylized to look like dreadlocks that float around me similar to a halo. My body is dressed in a rather uncomfortable and flashy evening dress, in a similar green as my hair but it gradually gets lighter as it travels down.

My companion is a tall humanoid woman, if we were to use that silly imperial system, she would stand a little over seven feet tall, which is a lot compared to me. She has porcelain white skin and raven hair that has been pulled back into a ponytail, framing her face like a mask coming out of the darkness. A lovely three-piece suit, minus the coat which she has flung over her shoulder, covers her and gives a very professional vibe. Oh! And I mustn’t forget her arms, given that she has six of them and all of them except the one holding her coat are relaxing at her side. And on her side was a large book with an ornate cover. I can’t remember what she has written there but it’s of little importance to me.

“Sorry… Could you repeat that please? I’m just a little surprised because it sounds like you’re talking about another Perennial War is about to begin.” I say as I sink into my chair.

“That is exactly what I am saying is going to happen.” The raven haired woman responds from across the table.

“Well… shit. That really does sound like a shame, but what do you want me to do about it? If you don’t remember, I'm stuck here for the most part and I can’t really interfere, even if I wanted to, with your universe. The Aether doesn’t want me meddling and the Rift has a pretty tight leash on my excursions.” I pick up my cup and take a drink, staring her down with a slightly smug look.

She sighs and reaches for her own cup. “This time there’s something else.”

“Oh?” I say with mock curiosity.

“I do not know if you want to hear it, but if it means that you will at least try to, I should tell you.” She takes a deep breath. “We believe that a Nightmare might be the cause.”

I drop my cup and it drifts off into the void. A Nightmare? That shouldn’t be possible. No, the only Nightmares that still live are in here with me. Those Gods out there said they had gotten rid of the Nightmare General of Decay. This isn’t happening. They should be DEAD!

“Are you telling me… that that damned piece of trash is back?!” I cry out with anger, standing up from my chair and facing the void.

“No… what I am saying is that there is another-”

I cut her off as the stars around us began to blink out quickly. My tentacles lash out in every direction, grabbing at whatever lights still float around us. This can’t be happening! I nearly died to them and now they’re back?! And there are two of them?! ARRGH! After everything I had to do?! After my greatest mistake cost me my home?! My freedom?! MY FAMILY?! Was it all for nothing? The people who died last time? Alex?

“Listen, I know that you don’t have the best experience with Nightmares outside of Aiden and his sister but I need you to help me. I do not want to see everything I have done since then fall to ruin.” She reaches out and takes my hand. I snap my head to meet her gaze.

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

Slowly, my tentacles return to me and the stars pop back into place. “You know I want to, Novella, but I can’t just do whatever I want.” She winces at her name and looks me dead in the eyes.

“First, please don’t call me that. Ella is fine.” Ella says, letting out a more casual and embarrassed tone before she refocuses on me. “Second, I am not saying it has to be you who solves our problem. I only want your help.”

“My help? And what do you expect me to do while I’m stuck here? It’s not as if the Aether and the Rift are just going to let me do whatever I want.” I scoff, thinking about the possibility that I could actually have some freedom.

“Currently only one world is threatened by this Nightmare. One of the ones we made after the Perennial War. It is called Amelioru and it has a rather particular case to it.”

“What’s the deal with it then?”

“For one thing, the Nightmare seems to be in a weakened state. From what we have learned, it plans to send out some kind of envoy as a means of testing how difficult it would be to conquer the world.”

I pause. Testing this out huh? That doesn’t sound great… a little familiar even… I wish Aiden or his sister were around right now. What a great time for them to go and visit the outside world when I’m trapped here. This obviously isn’t your average Nightmare, no this thing is one of the smarter ones. I always hated the smarter ones.

“So what does that mean for me?” I ask, taking my hand away to refill my spilt cup.

“It means we have an opportunity for two things. A story, maybe more than one, and a weakness.” Ella’s eyes sparkle, shifting from her usual golden irises to silvery blue ones. She pulls her book from her waist and places it in front of me on the table. Quickly flipping through pages, she eventually stops on one covered in writing talking about favors. “I might be able to pull a few strings, pun intended, and ask the Fates to set something up for us.”

“So you want to make a hero? I hardly think that any mortal could possibly stand a chance against something that caused the Gods themselves to go to war, not to mention my own people.” My expression sours as I listen to her proposal. “What makes you think that this will work and where would I even come in? Unless…”

Suddenly it dawned on me. No way she could be thinking that, but that look she’s giving me… Oh ho this is something. “You want me to support a hero of the Fates' own choosing for me and then let them fight whatever the Nightmare sends out? You know you’re a mad woman sometimes right?” I laugh as the idea starts to sink in and the gears in my head start to turn. “Despite what you have everyone else thinking, you’re just as crazy as they are!”

She shifts into a more relaxed position in her chair, still keeping things feeling like we were making a business deal but like it was one she knew she had won. “I just think that if we try something completely ridiculous it might stick. We tried to avoid being corrupted and that went poorly, so we should use something that is really out there.”

“I don’t know why… but I think you’re onto something here. I’m going to talk with Aiden’s sister, but I think this might just work. Despite how stupid of a plan this is, we’ve tried almost everything else.” I chuckle to myself. “Afterall, you and your Gods failed. Me and my own failed. Even Aiden could barely make a difference.”

“I take it you’re in?” She says, eyes sparkling and changing between colors rapidly. Ella holds out a hand and stares at me, expectantly.

“Sure! When staring into the Gates of Oblivion, we might as well go mad!” I shout with glee as I take her hand in mine, giving it a firm shake. “Even though this makes no sense, I think the feeling of not wanting another war like that is making us desperate.”

“Ha ha! Definitely.” She gives me a somewhat sad look, like this was some kind of desperate last ditch gamble. “Well I have to get going now, but I’ll be back soon enough. Now let’s just hope that we can have things go to plan, yeah?”

“Feels like you shouldn’t have said that.”

“Mmm, you’re probably right but what’s the worst that could happen?” She gives me a wink.

I sigh and shake my head. Something is definitely coming now.

Ella reaches into her coat pocket and produces a small, brass key. I’ve always envied that key, as it and its siblings are the only way out and none of them like to work for me. A large, wooden and metal Gate forms before her and she places the key inside. Giving it a turn, the Gate surges with power and she is sucked away from my prison, back to her home.

“Maybe one day…” I trail off as the Gate closes and disappears, leaving me alone in my dark, cold, Rift. But until then I have something I can look forward to, a hero fighting as the protagonist in my name. A hero for a story that I helped to write, it’s gonna be something for sure. I just hope Alex would be proud, though knowing her she’d probably call us insane for doing this. Oh well… what’s done is done and I for one want to catch up on my sleep.

I yawn and stretch out my body as I stand up and wave the table and chairs away. Maybe when Aiden gets back we can have a game night or something. Or maybe, I yawn again, his sister will-

With that thought left unfinished I promptly fell asleep, floating in the void, as the stars went out in a more peaceful fashion than before.