IX. Woeful, Capricious Skies
Author's Note: Flashbacks are in italics
With all due respect Sir Aevus, what is this place?
It's the Phantom Lair. How're you holding up?
Everything's so cold. What's in this place?
The manifestations of all your fears.
Why would you bring me here?
If I expose you to this, you're less likely to succumb to them later on.
'He's not telling me the whole story. I trust him but why?'
Hector had been right. Wherever he had taken her was completely identical to the abysmal labyrinth that Air Aevus had trained hEd in. The familiar chilling sensations and the ceaseless darkness were unmistakable. The horror of it all was only compounded by the fact that it was real.
By the third day, I had been completely desensitized to the cold
And despite the dark, I had figured out how to navigate the maze quite well
However, I could never get past the Phantom Beast by the exit
Sir Aevus gave me no hints other than to use my wits
I tried everything. Charms, hexes, combat spells
It didn't respond
I tried negotiation next
But all it sought was my head
Out of desperation I let it enter my brain
I don't know what happened next
But when I had awoken, Sir Aevus was frighteningly pale
And told me to never do that again
He said that phantoms were slain by listening to their tales
And not getting swayed
"Every phantom has a story to tell
And they want to make it a reality
What you must do is to sit through it all and prove them false
Their fairytales are nothing short of disasters and delusions
They want a puppet who shares their ideals
If you listen but don't sympathize
They won't come after you next"
This place should have no longer unnerved her. She knew it like the back of his hand. In just one turn, she would be face to face with the phantom Superbia. The tell tale drop in temperature confirmed that he was at the right spot. As she extended her hand to grab the door handle, something felt off. Where the door should've been was just sheer emptiness.
"Caelum!" Hector hollered, though Caelum couldn't really pinpoint where he was. "Where are you?"
"I'm at the gates of Superbia," She responded. "Where should I be?"
"I-I don't know. Can you wait for me? I'll find you." was Hector's shaky response.
"Hector," Caelum said lowly. "Have you been here before?"
The unspoken words 'It doesn't seem like it' hung in the air.
"No I haven't," Hector choked out. "But this is the only place we can find him and you seem to be familiar with this place.
"You've gone mad," Caelum said with a callous edge. "Nobody should go to the Phantom Lair on their own accord. And who is he?"
"Sir Aevus's previous pupil. Regina said it was about time I met him."
Who are you? You aren't a phantom. You're a mage.
I'm a Phantom's Puppet, it's a pleasure to meet you. At this point, I'm little more than a discarded toy.
How about you? What's your name?
I'm not obligated to tell you
You're a smart one. But I'll tell you a little something
Sir Aevus knows what's best. You won't end up like me
"I've met him. And he told me nothing worthwhile. What makes you think you're different?"
"Because we're meeting Regina Aire there. If anybody can convince him to spill, it's her."
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