It had been two days since Celameth had been trapped within this crude wooden building. It all started when her beloved Klarric had collapsed after bringing her here in a manner which she could not understand in the slightest.

They had lifted the surprisingly heavy Klarric into a bedroom filled with strange golden and silver statues. After which Alis took her to a large, simple, and crudely uncovered rectangular table near a kitchen made of dull gleaming metal.

It was there that Alis laid out truths about Aggard, herself, and Klarric.

At first Celameth had not believed what she had been told. That the central person to her long life had abandoned not only her, but all the plans that had been crafted over long years. All for a moment of peace with their shared beloved.

It seemed that Alis was getting worried about how long it was taking Klarric to awake. So they went to find him, and see if he was alright. But the cheap plank door they had carried him through was missing.

Calming Alis down took longer than expected.

When she calmed down, Alis was eager to go back to Celameth’s tower and deal with the invaders there in Klarric’s absence. So they went to leave the wooden building by exiting through the flagstone floored room.

Yet the closer they got to the door leading to the flagstone floored room the harder it was for Alis to move. In the end, she could not get any closer, no matter what the two of them tried. Since that moment, Alis noticed it was harder and harder for her to have free movement around the room.

In the end Alis was stuck laying on one of the three black sofas, unable to even move. Embarrassing Celameth and Alis no end, Celameth had to feed Alis, bite by bite, her meals.

The longer she remained trapped in this crude wood room, the more she resented it. Her home she had spent many long lonely centuries in, and a few precious months together with the two people who were most precious to her, was likely no longer under her control. But this place seemed comfortable to Alis, comfortable in a way which she could not understand.

It felt fake, artificial, not wholly there. Even the food was lacking. It tasted of little. Of the taste there was, was subtly wrong in a disturbing manner. Apples tasting somewhat like apple infused meat. Or water, tasting like it had a hint of wine. Wine that was watered down much too much to be drinkable.

Even Alis started to feel and look strange since Celameth had woken up from sleeping on the hard floor behind the sofa. It had been the only place which felt somewhat real. The only place she could rest without feeling the pressure of this fake reality invading her sanity.

But when she awoke, not even that safe haven was safe. It felt like she was lying on a field of grass, with the blades of grass gentle against her skin. But she also knew, at the same time, she was laying on a firm wood surface.

As Celameth checked on Alis the cute freckles which covered her face had grown harsher. Sometimes Celameth swore she heard the freckles arguing with their neighbours, sometimes even swapping their positions. And that fiery red hair glowed in a dangerous manner, as if it were trying to be real fire.

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Alis’ eyes were open, but instead of those pretty eyes of hers there were endless orbs which seemed to suck in Celameth’s whole being. At first Celameth tried to fight it, but in the end it was too much effort and could resist no longer.

Bit by bit, her whole body felt like it was unravelling. The pain involved was overwhelming to the point of pleasure.

Then she snapped to in a place of nothingness.

After the hell of mock reality, this nothingness was calming. With her was Alis, who had somehow prettied herself up. A golden ring on her hand gleamed with a beautiful intensity. She was wearing a dark green dress, and her fiery red hair brushed and gleaming in the non-existent light.

The dress hugged her figure, showing off some slight shape to her hips, waist, and blossom. Along the bottom of the dress, was some ornate embroidery of flowers and grass stitched in the same dark green as the dress. As she walked with a beautiful grace, one which had been absent when Celameth had last seen her, it made it look like embroidered grass and flowers were waving in a gentle breeze on a summer’s day.

‘What is going on?’ Celameth asked, hoping that Alis would know.

‘It seems our divine realm is undergoing changes. At least to according to what I understand.’

‘Divine realm? In all of everything you talked about, never once did you mention about divine realms. And more than that, you never said we were within a divine realm this entire time.’ Celameth spat out all the frustrations she had.

‘Did I not?’

‘No, you didn’t.’

‘Then again, Aggard never told me it was a divine realm either. She created that homely cabin for the three of us. It was her gift for Klarric’s and mine wedding.’

‘Oh.’ Celameth said quietly. ‘Wedding. Wedding?’

‘Yes, our wedding, presided over by Aggard herself. Something about it being a Delve of Devotion, and us needing to do the next step with you.’

Celameth looked at Alis. She was getting angry. After getting Klarric to agree to marry her, she had dreamed of a wedding where she would get married to Klarric alongside Alis. After awakening alone to the silence of what had been their joint home, she had come up with ever intricate dreams of how the wedding should go.

All those pleasant dreams had been wasted.

In this nothiness, a sharp stabbing pain radiated out from her belly. A dull ache then grew from her heart. All the pain she had been holding tight within burst out.

She had been discarded by her goddess, much like the goddess had discarded their plans for the future. Now she had been discarded by Klarric so he could be with Alis, and Alis alone.

Celameth turned to face the nothingness which surrounded them and longed to join in with it so the pain would be gone forever.

As she stared into the abyss of the nothingness, she felt her being fade away.

Then something warm and loving grabbed her, held her tight.

‘Please, don’t go.’ It whispered in her ears.