The Devourer of Light Solo

January 31st 2025
Speech: #cfa120
Thoughts: Italics
@Scout Fu-Hai - @Ava Winchect - @Colin McCoire - @Ophelia Northwell - @AngelFyre McCubbin - @Simon Kincaid

By this point, Emily had come to the dark and upsetting realisation that what she was experiencing wasn't a mere dream. The first few nights since that night were child's play. A few whispers in the night, usually whenever Emily turned her head over on the pillow as she shifted position. During the day, she hardly noticed them. It was only when she stopped to concentrate that she could hear them, though even at that, it was only barely that she realised they were there. Otherwise she would have been under the belief that she was hallucinating from some unknown cause.

In a way though, she was. All thanks to that mark. Since that mark gathered on her hand her deepest fears had been louder, her hopes were quieter, her dreams were mocked and her insecurities gnawed at her. She hadn't stepped foot into the forest in case the nearest shadow would swallow her whole, or the sinister limbs of the abyss's trees would snag her and tear her apart. It was funny. That sounded pleasant in comparison to the belligerent voices that had been pounding her mind and memory since she accrued the black mark. At one point she stood at the edge of the forest, tempted to walk through in hopes that, that "fear" would come true. Anything to silence those voices. But she didn't. It was that same fear that stopped her. Even in the throes of madness, she didn't want to die.

Not that she would, though she was too far into the darkness to see that.

Emily sat at the shore of the Great Lake, watching as the water rippled and the water's edge drifting towards her before flowing back out again. She was bent over, looking down at the ground past her legs. She was unresponsive, paying zero attention to the birds flying overhead or the students walking past that cracked the silence with their antics.

Her eyes were sunken from the lack of sleep. The light in her eyes had dimmed drastically over the last while. The last couple of nights in particular, she hadn't even seen her bed. There was no point when those grating voices would keep her awake. She had managed to bury herself into her books and studies to stave off the worst of them, but today was when the distractions stopped working.

Are you finally going to acknowledge that you're nothing?

You're here by a fluke.

You should've stayed ignorant.

You shouldn't have tried to help anyone.

Now look at you...

You're as cursed as the individuals you claimed to help.

And cue the waterworks. No matter what was said, no matter how much her inner self denied or agreed with them, it always hurt. They were always relentless. Her finger pulsed and the mark grew. Was it a mercy that there was no pain there? Would it have made much a difference when she was feeling plenty of it in her head? What did it matter?

Nothing did.

"I only wanted to--"

To what? To help? To learn? To "save" the people who had been hurt by the things you find fascinating? You know as well as we do that you're a naïve, insignificant thing. You misplace your trust and "love" constantly. Focus on wasting your love on your negligent family instead of the creatures that will one day wipe out everyone you care about.

The voices cackled at her worries that slowly surfaced. She felt a sinister sting bubble in her chest.

Scout. Colin. Ava. Them and many more... It won't be the creatures that you want to be equal with that'll be their end. It'll be you.

Emily swallowed. "Because I tried to help?"

Because your love is dangerous.

They stopped talking, giving way to the well of ear-bleeding laughter that ricocheted off the walls of her head. The tears ramped up and Emily crumpled into a ball of despair. The mark on her finger got sickeningly darker. Perhaps it was true. Her own concern for the tree repaid her by blessing her with angry thoughts and tormenting anxiety. Maybe it was only a matter of time before her dearest friends would meet a terrible fate. Emily didn't want it to be her fault. But what if...?

She reached for her bag and ripped out several slips of paper from a notebook. With a pen, she poorly scribbled a few words, signing them to a few choice individuals. She beckoned Tavra, who had evidently grew increasingly worried for her beloved human in her quiet chirps, to send her on her way and deliver them.

Am I wrong for trying to help? Or do you think I'll bring you destruction?

Emily sent the owl away with the notes in her beak. Tavra caught a glimpse of Emily lying flat on the ground in her mounting despair. Emily didn't notice yet how she couldn't stand her beloved human drowning in darkness like this.

It was enough to make the owl's eyes gloss over with tears of her own.

_{Word Count: 831}

For the people tagged;
You're more than welcome to godmod Tavra and write a post of your character reacting to the note sent to them (It can be here or your own solo post, I don't mind)

Stats: Stamina: 7| Evasion: 6| Strength: 6| Wisdom: 8| Arcane Power: 7| Accuracy: 6
Abilities: Non-Human Enthusiast |Cat's Grace