Who am I? Who am I really? Please, for the love of God, someone tell me. Anyone. I thought I had gotten over this and was past all of this. Please. I thought I was Luna, the little elf girl; I was young, happy, and eager to learn, grow, and protect her family. I am her, right?

  Then why am I him again? Why do I think like him and act like him?

  Is it because I’m still him?

  But he died. I was there when he was shot, and I was him then. Except, he never left. He was always there. Like a dog locked in its cage, like Truth, I locked him away. Luna locked him away. She calmed him down, made him rex, and stowed him away. She wasn’t perfect at it; sometimes, he could get out, but now, Luna’s gone. She’s gone, and he’s free, but now I’m stuck with him and Truth.

  “Oh, don’t go roping me into this. I’m only here 'cause we’re trapped in this Cerebellium pce!” Truth said his presence made himself known.

  “I told you to bug off!” I snapped, still floating aimlessly in the nebu.

  The being I had first met here, the “unwoken mind,” as it called itself, had indeed left. Part of me hoped the thing would come back. The warmth it brought, this feeling of love, was comforting. Now, I felt cold and empty, like something was missing. That thing had known so much but spoke in riddles. I had hoped I could pry more from it, learn about this realm, and maybe learn how to move about it.

  I closed my eyes. I needed to focus. Now wasn’t the time for an existential crisis. Instead, I needed to focus on the real crisis: figuring out how to escape his higher dimension and find my mother.

  But what if she doesn’t like him? A smaller, yet louder, part of me asked.

  “Who cares?” Truth said, “The truth of the matter is that if we stay here, we’re totally dead. Like dead, dead. Remember? Shaed said our souls would be trapped here, and there is no Current to resurrect us again.”

  “Right,” I said with a gulp. “Besides, we could, uh, rolepy that we’re someone else.”

  “Why? Wouldn’t it be easier to just say who we really are?” Truth asked. “The Current and reincarnation is not unheard of here, Luna.”

  “Yes, but…” I closed my eyes. “It’ll just make it easier for me, okay? I don’t like lying, but I also… I also don’t want to risk changing how my family sees me.”

  Truth sighed. Does he even need to breathe? Or was that me sighing? Jesus, I am going nuts.

  “Alright, I guess I can sort of understand, but I still think it’s silly.”

  “Thank you, me.”

  “No problem, me.” Truth chuckled. “Perhaps we are going looney here.”

  I closed my eyes and took another deep breath. At least there was an air in this realm, or at least what I perceived as air. If things were still as Shaed described, would my body still be in the material realm? So am I really not here?

  “Yo, focus.” Truth barked.

  “Shit, my mind keeps wandering.”

  “It’s just you coping, Weepy. I’ll keep that bit in check.”

  “My name isn’t Weepy,” I growled.

  “Sure, but till you stop crying all the time it will be.”

  I sighed and dropped the subject. With a grunt, I twisted my upper torso. I felt my body shift and begin to spin in the colorful void, and I couldn’t stop. It wasn’t a fast spin but a slow, gentle turning that allowed me to see more vibrant gaseous clouds around me. In the distance, I could see bright dots like stars intermingled amongst the voluminous clouds of colors.

  “Holy shit, that’s pretty,” I muttered, unable to stop myself from admiring the view. At that moment, I saw a massive mountain of blues and purples stretching up and down, each end mushrooming like some Rorschach art piece. At least, I assumed they were going up and down. Being in a void, I guess there isn’t any way of telling. Judging by the tiny dots in the void that I assumed were stars, though there were few compared to the night sky, these things must be massive.

  Then, slowly, my twisting body turned to reveal a vast array of reds, pinks, and oranges. Though much more splotchy, like someone had got paint on a brush and flicked it at the canvas. The spinning helped oddly as it gave me a way to keep track of time. It took about a full fifteen seconds to complete a full three-sixty. While that didn’t help me immediately, I had to enjoy some sembnce of a victory.

  “Okay, how do I… swim? Fly? I need to move, dammit.” I muttered to myself as I filed my arms upwards in a gesture of swimming.

  It was a big mistake. The gesture toppled my body a bit, sending me spinning and flipping backward. The sensation of falling backward caused me to briefly panic, and I filed again, disrupting my current spin and forcing me to go the opposite way.

  “Calm, calm yourself!” Truth ordered. “You’re in space, or something akin to it. I doubt you can swim through this air here.”

  “How do I move then?” I asked with a groan, or, I’ll admit, it was more of a whine.

  “How the hell should I know? I am you, after all. I know as much as you do.”

  “You’re the smarter part of me,” I huffed.

  “Holy shit, you’re right. Dammit.” Truth huffed. “Think about it, Weepy. Where are we?”

  I blinked. “Cerebellium, but how would that help us?”

  “Oh. My. God… Remember how I said you aren’t stupid? I take that back. I am a dumbass.”

  “Why are you an asshole?”

  “You mean, why are we an asshole? I am you, and honestly, people are too soft on you. Someone needs to be the one who dishes out the stern love.”

  I pouted. “Okay, fine. If I remember correctly, we’re in the Cerebellium, the cognitive realm.”

  “Okay, yeah. So we’re in the big-brain pce. Or, our consciousness is.”

  I nodded slowly and snapped my finger as I completed my first-ever backflip. “I’m thinking too much about physical shit,” I realized. “Of course, I can’t swim in the big brain realm.”

  “Now we're cooking.” Truth agreed.

  I sighed. “So, how do we move then? Should I like, think it?” I wiggled once again but found myself spinning slightly faster than before.

  “I don’t know,” Truth mumbled. “Why do you keep asking me?”

  “I think best when bouncing ideas off of someone,” I said, “And you feel like someone else.”

  “Well I’m not.” He huffed. “Maybe this pce is like the Astral Sea?”

  “Like in D&D?” I said, thinking. God, I haven’t thought about D&D in ages. “That pce is like the realm of dreams, which… oh shit. I think I get it.”

  “Ahha, right?” Truth said I could feel something akin to a smile.

  “Dream logic,” I muttered to myself. To test the theory brewing in my mind, I looked towards the massive Roshache cloud of blues and purples and imagined myself moving towards it and the stars in front of it.

  The world shifted. My guts lurched back as I felt something tugging me forward like someone had wrapped a rope around me and yanked me in the direction I wanted to go. The air began to rush around me, and I felt my momentum building as I moved faster and faster.

  Despite the air rushing around me as I flew, was I flying? Well, I certainly wasn’t falling or walking. I began to notice that my judgment of distance was woefully underestimated. The distant mushroom-shaped mountain and stars were not getting closer, or so it seemed.

  “Excellent, nice work!” Truth praised. “But we’ll need to move faster if we want to get anywhere.”

  “Where are we even trying to go?” I asked, concentrating on propelling myself forward. The air turned into a whistle as I began to rocket forward. My heart was beating rapidly, and my adrenaline spiked. The fears and worries of my identity vanished as I truly began to fly. I suddenly felt free, like I was in a dream where I could do anything.

  “I don’t know,” Truth said in my mind. “We need to find mother. Perhaps we can catch up to our subconscious? The Unwoken Mind.”

  I pursed my lips and straightened upright, envisioning myself slowing. I did just so. The air calmed, and I stopped. “If that thing is truly my subconscious, couldn’t we speak to it now, like I’m speaking to you?” I asked.

  “Uh,” Was all Truth said.

  “Let me guess, you don’t know?” I asked.

  “Yeah, honestly. I don’t know if that thing is really us,” He said with a mental shrug. “They cim to be us, or really, it said something like we’re part of it.”

  “I don’t like the thought of that.” I shuddered. “That thing was downright creepy with all the cryptic shit it was saying.”

  “Right? What was that shit about a Pattern or Perspectives?”

  I sighed. “More questions for Shaed I guess. Any ideas on how we could find Mother?”

  Truth fell silent for a moment. “Uh, well, if we’re using dream logic. Couldn’t we just think our way to her?”

  I shrugged. “I dunno, but I guess there’s only one way to find out.” I sighed and closed my eyes. I began picturing my mother, Cailynn, her pretty face, elegant form, scent, and ugh. The presence she exuded when entering a room: strong, confident, if not a bit aloof. The feeling of love she gave me and the excitement she expressed when cuddling me. Her love, I tried to find her love.

  There. I felt something. It wasn’t far. Like an itch at the back of my mind, I could feel a presence that wasn’t my own. It was faint, like a dimming star. I spun around. Of course, I had been flying in the opposite direction of it. It was the same direction the Unwoken Mind had fled to. Then it struck me.

  It was going to my mother. Without a thought or question, I imagined myself rocketing in the direction of what I thought was my mother. The air around me whistled and shrieked before abruptly going silent as I shot like a bullet through the void. The distant stars around me now moved, or I pushed past them as I flew. My heart thundered in my chest, and my stomach bubbled with butterflies as I felt adrenaline-induced excitement. No. It was hope. Hope that maybe I could do this, that I could save Mother and get us the hell out of this realm.

  Then it struck me. A new, almost overwhelming sensation washed over me. Compassion, curiosity, love, and dominance. I faltered in my flight and was forced to imagine myself slowing. I jerked and spun around mid-flight as a low rumble caught up to me. I looked in every direction, and aside from stars appearing in different locations than before from having moved. I saw nothing. Yet I felt it everywhere.

  Then, like a crowd of eyes shifting to look at me. I felt something watching me. It’s attention focusing. It was it. The Unwoken Mind. The thing that cimed it was me, that I was it. It felt so nostalgic. Like I knew this being, and it definitely knew me.

  “What is this?” The entity spoke with a feminine tone. “The Little Echo has not yet faded? Instead like a bird jumping from it’s nest, it’s learned to fly. Intriguing. Yet, like a water without a container. Your mind spills, pooling in every direction.”

  The thing was vast. I could sense its tendrils, like roots from a tree, spreading in every direction around me. It pulsed with soothing emotions, emotions that made me feel like I was part of it—like I was it. Within this entity, I could sense her still—my mother. She was somewhere, deep within it.

  “Where is she?” I called out. “My mother. What are you doing to her?”

  The entity hummed. “She is here, around, dancing with us. From her I wish to learn new perspectives. To understand who we are.”

  I gritted my teeth. “I have no idea what she’s saying,” Truth said, “But I don’t think it’s good. That thing is like a curious kid with a new toy. She’s bound to break it.”

  The world around us shifted, the colors of the void pulsing with every hum and tone emanating from this thing. The thousands of eyes I had felt on me turned away, leaving me alone as the creature began to mumble to itself, “I’m impressed. The echo that makes up this one is resilient. It clings with great strength, its determination burning with an intensity I rarely see.”

  I blinked. The thing wasn’t referring to me. “Please,” I called to it, trying to get its attention. “Let me see her. I need to get her out of here.”

  The vibrant colors dulled once again, and once more, I felt center stage as I felt its presence on me again. “Noisy you are. Persistent as well. Perhaps there’s a corretion?”

  “No,” I said, “That’s just who I am, very annoying. Now, please, just listen to me. I need to get her and leave. Can you do that for me?”

  “Leave?” That being said confused. “Why would you want to leave? Your job is finished.”

  “Because we don’t belong,” I said to it. “My mind and my mother’s will go away. You said it yourself earlier: My mother’s mind is stretching thin. Even now, I feel my mind is slipping.”

  “Damn straight,” Truth said in my head. “Longer we’ll be here I feel more voices are going to appear. Except, I dunno if I wanna go away. I quite like being out of my cage.”

  Shut up. I thought to him.

  “Ah, fine.”

  The void's colors shifted to a cool blue as the entity seemed to mull my words. Then, the color darkened, and a sense of sorrow washed over me. In a quivering voice, the being said, “I’m sorry, Little Echo. I don’t know how you can leave.”

  The personality seemed to have changed. I realized that I was talking to someone else.

  “The Pattern is set, leaving this realm of our own volition is prohibited. Truly, I wish I could help.”

  “You’re right,” Truth said. “The tone in which she speaks, not to mention the color shift. This is someone else.”

  Someone who also isn’t telling us the whole truth. I thought, and Truth silently agreed.

  “You’re lying,” I said bluntly, and the colors violently shifted around us. The gaseous clouds twisted and swirled as they went from blue to bright reds and purples.

  The tone shifted to anger, and furious emotions washed over me. “You accuse us of lying, Puny Echo?!” The voice shook me to my core. “How dare you toss such petunt words!”

  “Perhaps provoking it was a terrible idea!”

  I just realized that! I panicked and waved my arms frantically.

  “Look! I’m sorry!” I apologized. “What I mean is, how could I… how could I be your echo? If I’m from the material realm, that means you had some way of sending me there right? How could you do that if there’s no way to leave here?” I asked.

  As quickly as the fire burned, it was snuffed out. The colors darkened, and mencholy again began to seep around me. The voice quivered and sobbed, “I’m sorry, little one.” It shuddered. “You are right to ask these questions; however, my other halves do not believe I should disclose such information.”

  I frowned. “Ahha, so there are other ones. Kinda like me, I guess?” Truth said smugly.

  No offense, but I don’t want to end up like this… thing. I like having only one mind. I thought.

  “Oh, c’mon. It isn’t so bad. Two minds are better than one, eh? We’ve done so much together already. We learned to fly, had an existential meltdown–”

  Focus. I demanded, and Truth shut up.

  “Why do your other halves not want to share such information–actually,” I stopped myself, “Which one am I speaking to?” I asked. “Do you have a name?”

  Though not visible, I could sense its quivering. The question seemingly triggered something, and I felt a sense of curiosity and excitement wash over me. “A name?” the being pondered. "We only know ourselves as the Unwoken Mind. Who we are is something we’ve been trying to learn.”

  “Well,” I said cautiously. “Do you want to always be known by that name? The Unwoken Mind, I mean.” The being quivered again but didn’t answer me. “A name is usually the first step towards having an identity. Plus, I think it’ll be easier for us to talk to one another. Let me start.” I cleared my throat, though I probably didn’t need to upon entering this realm. Pcing a hand on my chest, I bowed. “I am Luna Ashflow,” I said, though hearing my old voice say that name felt odd.

  An overwhelming sense of excitement washed over me as the presence chortled. “Ah, yes, Luna. A much better name, a joyful name. Much more fun to say than the Broken One.”

  I frowned at that. “Broken one?”

  The presence stiffened. “Oh no.” It said in a tiny voice as anxiety began to bubble around me. “We had said too much. Do not mind those words, Little Ech–Luna.” It corrected itself.

  “It's Best we not push this one, Luna,” Truth said. “We’ve got something good going here. We shouldn’t trigger another one of its mood swings.”

  I nodded. “Now it’s your turn to tell me your name,” I said, gazing out at the expanse around me. I had failed to notice the unseen tendrils; the roots that represented this being had now fully enveloped me.

  “Dangerous habit,” Truth said, “We need to be better at staying observant. We’re trapped now.”

  I’ve noticed that. I thought.

  “A name?” The being cooed as the anxiety faded and excitement returned. The colors of the void brightened as it hummed with thought. “We have never thought on such a subject. What name would you prefer we have?” It asked. “That is how names are given where you’re from, yes? By someone else?”

  I pursed my lips. “Normally,” I said with a nod. “Your parents are usually the ones to name you, but you could always change it.”

  “Change it?” The entity said, confused.

  I nodded. “Yeah, like we’re doing now. You said you’re the unwoken mind? If you don’t want that name just change it.”

  The world faded to a grayish hue as confusion settled in. My stomach began to sink with uneasiness. “But that is what I am, not who I am?” It said with uncertainty.

  ‘Uh, yeah,” I said, “Like, uh, I’m an elf.” I pointed to my human body. “But nobody calls me ‘elf.’ My name is ‘Luna’.”

  Color began to return as realization dawned on the being. “Ah, we see!” it said, understanding. “Yes, yes! This is amazing. Thank you, Little Echo–Luna, we mean. This is a brilliant perspective! Now tell us, what is our name? We shall give you this honor.”

  “Oh goodie!” Truth excimed. “We get to name a god! This is awesome!”

  I don’t think this is a god, Truth. I thought.

  “Are you sure about that? This thing is giving me big god vibes,” He said.

  Ignoring Truth, I stroked my chin in thought. I was never good at coming up with names for things, so I did what I normally did in such moments: I used the first thing that came to my mind. We were in the Cerebellium, a higher tier in reality, as Shaed described. Cereb. I liked that.

  “How about Cereb?” I called out to the being.

  “‘How about Cereb?’” It repeated back to me.

  I quickly waved my hands and shook my head. “No, no! Just ‘Cereb.’ It has a nice ring to it, it rolls off the tongue well, and it’s way easier than just calling you the Unwoken Mind.”

  The sensation of curiosity became known as the being quivered and repeated the name repeatedly to itself as if getting a taste for it. Each utterance came with a hint of excitement as it practiced the name.

  “Yes, yes, we like this, we like this!” the being quivered. ‘We are Cereb–I am Cereb!” The world around me was illuminated with bright yellows and light reds. “Thank you, Luna, thank you!” it said, overcome with joy. “This is the happiest moment in all of my time!” Hearing that made my heart swell, as I found its emotions contagious.

  “I’m gd I can help, Cereb,” I said, and hearing me use the being’s new name made it squeal with happiness.

  “Oooh, say it again! Say it again!” It demanded like a child.

  “Uh, sure thing, Cereb. I’m gd I could help.” I rubbed the back of my neck as the creature howled with joy.

  “This thing truly is insane,” Truth muttered.

  That, and Cereb is probably lonely. Very lonely. I thought. We’re wasting time, though. We need to get my mother.

  “Agreed,” Truth said. “Now that we’ve calmed Cereb down let's try to push them on the matter.”

  “Cereb,” I called out to them. “About my mother, is there any way you can help me get to her?” I asked.

  The sense of joy faltered, and Cereb calmed. “She is here already,” Cereb said ftly. “Her pattern dances through us, around us.”

  I frowned and clenched my fists as I prayed that I wasn’t too te. “Is there a way to get to her and see her like I am?” I patted my chest. “A whole person like myself.”

  Disappointment struck me as Cereb defted. “You are not whole, Luna. What you are is how you perceive, but you are not whole. For I am also not whole, for we flow like clouds of dye in water.”

  Huh? I blinked.

  “I think what she’s saying, and I could be wrong, is that this body. Is not actually us,” Truth said.

  I got that. We’re a projection, as Shaed said. I thought.

  “Sort of, I think, remember. I’m you. So I know what you know. I just know how to stick clues together. I’m guessing that we perceive ourselves as a body when in reality, we might be like Cereb here.”

  You’re telling me I’m a fucking cloud?

  “Maybe? Again, I don’t know. I’m just going off what this thing just said.”

  I frowned. “So, there is no way for me to see her then?” I asked.

  “See as you are aware, no.” Cereb brightened again. “Sense her, however, yes. Sense you have already, hence why you came here, no?”

  I smiled as I began to feel hopeful. “Yes, earlier I was able to feel her, Cereb.”

  Hearing their name again made the creature stir with joyful energy. “Then you can see her. Sense, Little Luna, expand your presence as you have. Seek what you want, and you shall find her like you have.” I felt Cereb’s presence around me receding as if giving me space. “But, be warned, for the one known as Cailynn does not have the strength like you or I. Her presence is weak and thinning.”

  “We need to help her then,” I said, “Earlier you never answered my question. How am I able to go to the material realm as your echo? Can you do this for her as you did me, Cereb?”

  Cereb shivered, and once again, mencholy took hold. “I, we, we don’t know…” It said with sorrow. “We are sorry, Luna, I am sorry.”

  My heart twinged. Are you kidding me? Are you actually kidding me? Is this really how I’m going to lose my mother? Over something so stupid as this? What happened? How did this happen? How did she even get here?

  “Focus, Luna,” Truth tried to calm me though my mind was spiraling.

  My mother was going to die. Trapped forever in this other realm. Alone, insane. I can do nothing except watch her and sense her fading. I’m useless. I’m so fucking useless. I just saved her st time. It’s only been three weeks. What? And already I’m losing her again. Why? Why us? Why me? I’m tired of this bullshit. I’m tired of everything. I just want to go back, and I want to live a quiet life again.

  “Really, that’s what you’re thinking about?” Truth snarled.

  What? I blinked.

  “Your mother is dying, and all you are about is how your life is shit? About how you’re tired of all of this and wish you could live the good life? I knew I was a piece of shit, but wow.” I cringed. “Instead of thinking about just yourself, try and do something. Do anything!” Truth barked.

  “What can I do?” I said out loud. “I’m just this ‘little echo,’” I quoted Cereb. “I don’t have the powers they have, I don’t have the capabilities of Shaed or–”

  I’m a fucking idiot. I realized.

  “Yes! Big brain time! Do it!”

  Shaed, why the hell haven’t I tried reaching out to him? The man who’s literally trapped in this realm is an actual god. The one who brought me here. Truth is wrong. I am stupid. I closed my eyes, clenched my fists, and concentrated on the man in bck. His monotonous voice, dull attitude, power, remorse, and finally, ugh. His genuine ugh. Any bit of detail I could recall I used to extend this presence I possessed out in searching for him.

  It didn’t take long.

  Fear sparked in my chest, and dread quivered in Cereb’s voice. “He is coming. Master is coming. Hide, hide we must, but where? He is all. Patterns he shifts. He will find us.” They said as the world began to dim, the yellows and reds shifting to gray and then bck.

  Shuddering as Cereb’s fear transferred to me, I gulped. “Why are you afraid, Cereb?”

  “Because he hurts us,” Cereb moaned. “Master of Pains he is. He locks us away, if he sees us awake, he will hurt me again.”

  “H-Hurt you?” I blinked. Shaed hadn’t seemed so malicious from what I’d seen.

  “You fool,” Truth sighed. “This is where I think Charity is kind of right here. He’s been nice to us, but that doesn’t make him trustworthy. Hell, he told you not just a few hours ago of the atrocities he’s done.”

  Yes, but… he seemed so remorseful about it. That was also thousands of years ago—

  “He’s here!” Cereb panicked, and I jerked my head around to look for Shaed.

  Instead, I saw no man. Far off among the fading colors, darkness took hold. All I could see were the distant stars, yet among them. A shimmer. Something moved past the others, causing their lights to contort and shift. Streaks of light left the others and swirled around the object like water circling a drain. Something dark was sucking it all in, something vast.

  Cereb’s presence began to retreat into itself, leaving me alone with the faint presence of my mother. The objects that had consumed the light from the other stars were growing nearer. It was bck as oil, and its surface was reflective like that as well. Light bounced off of it, allowing me to just ever so faintly make out the massive object.

  The thing was spherical and, as mentioned, vast beyond anything I’ve ever seen. As it drew nearer, it took up the entirety of my vision. The air around me began to push against me as a rushing wind howled against my ears and moved like waves parting before a ship. I feared whatever this was would strike me or consume me like it had the light of the stars.

  Except it stopped abruptly. Around me, I could hear Cereb whimpering like a child, their voice so small now as they cowered before this entity. My own heart hammered against my chest as I shook before this thing. Shaed had hinted that there are natives to this realm. Had I just mistakenly summoned a predator?

  Cereb said this was the Master—or their master—except the Shaed I knew was a man. Not this thing, this being of oily darkness that consumed light. Looking into its abyss sent me feeling dread. Horrors lurked within there, and a primal fear within was screaming at me to run, to do anything. Except I couldn’t; I was frozen.

  Even when I tried to use my dream logic to move, to imagine myself flying, I was still.

  “There you are,” Shaed’s voice said ftly in my mind. “Searching for you was like trying to find a specific drop of water in an ocean. I’m pleased to see you’ve figured out the basics.”

  “Wh-what is this?” I muttered, fear evident in my voice.

  “This is me, the real me. You are in my domain now.”

  I quivered. Within the shadows, I swore I could see faces, twisted visages of screaming people, and horrid monsters with melting skin. I could hear them. The howls of those trapped within, hundreds, thousands, millions. Everyone he had killed, every soul he had taken. He was a nightmare, a monster.

  “What are you?” I asked.

  “I’ve told you what I am, Luna.” Shaed’s voice was calm, juxtaposing the roiling mass before me. “I see you’ve found the fool as well. I’ll handle her, but you, you must reach into me, and I’ll take you back.”

  “N-No!” I heard myself shouting as I finally found the will to pull myself away from the being. “I-I’m not going in there, an-and I’m not letting you take mother!”

  “Luna,” Shaed said firmly but kept his tone calm. “The longer you stay here the sooner you and your mother will lose yourselves. Trust me.”

  “But this isn’t natural, y-you aren’t natural!” My heart was racing, and within, I could see inky arms reaching out towards me. Hundreds of humanoid bodies made of tar extended their limbs to me, beckoning me forward.

  “I know what it looks like,” Shaed said in a low voice. “I know the fear you must be feeling. I am, unnatural, but I cannot change that any longer. You must trust me.”

  “Cereb,” I said to the other entity pleading. “Is this really him? Is this Shaed?”

  “We do not know who Shaed is,” Cereb whimpered, their voice now a tiny squeak. “What we know is that this is Master of Pains—the one I met upon my birth, the one who locked me away, the one who hurt me.”

  “Oh?” Shaed’s voice echoed around me now. “It seems the Unwoken Mind is now the Woken Mind again.” Cereb squealed in horror, and I felt their presence vanishing as they hurried away, and Shaed sighed.

  “What did you do to them?!” I shouted, anger mixing with my fear. “Why did you hurt Cereb?”

  “Cereb?” Shaed mused. “So it has a name now? Venra had warned the construct may develop it’s own consciousness given time…”

  “Answer me!” I demanded.

  Shaed sighed. “I’m sorry, Luna, but this has gone on long enough now. We’re wasting time. I did not wish to do this, but we cannot dally here much longer, or else we risk exposure. Forgive me for what I’m about to do.”

  “What are you–” Before I could finish my sentence, the darkness shot towards me instantly. I was engulfed in a viscous substance like I had doven into an ocean of thick oil. I opened my mouth to scream and breathe, except the tasteless liquid flooded into my mouth and throat before I knew it. I was unconscious.

  Then I wasn’t. Like breaching the surface of a ke, my eyes flew open, and I gasped and choked on air. My eyes screamed as all I could see was a blinding white-blue light above me, and my lungs burned for more oxygen. I was on my back, arched and kicking as my muscles spasmed with pins and needles. Something was inside me trying to force its way up, and I jerked and rolled on my side.

  I choked and gagged until I finally vomited a thick bck, oil-like substance onto the metal floor. It was tasteless and hot. Fear took hold, and I sputtered and kicked away from the bile, my back smming into something metal behind me. I turned and looked and realized I was back within the power pnt. The generator was lit brightly again.

  How long was I out for? I wondered but quickly focused as I heard someone else nearby choking. Not too far from my right was my mother lying on her side, having a seizure and choking.

  I scrambled over to her, stumbling over wires and hunks of metal. I knelt before her and held her shoulders just as she, too, vomited a simir inky bile onto the floor. Seeing that the generator was active again, I muttered a quick restoration spell to cure her and then myself of the sickness. Like a raging storm, the ether surged through us as the magic maneuvered through me. Sending pleasurable tingles as it soothed my body.

  My mother’s seizure calmed, and her eyes twitched beneath her closed lids. She looked to be dreaming and didn’t stir when I shook her. I had been told her mind was thinning. Perhaps getting one’s expanded consciousness shoved back into a little meat sack wasn’t a great feeling. Then again, I didn’t feel much better coming in. A moment after my magic faded, a throbbing pain struck my mind, and I nearly doubled over. Clutching my skull, I groaned as my head throbbed. Sucking in the air, I whined as the pain pulsed several more times before beginning to recede.

  Once it was gone, I slowly lowered my hands. “What the hell was that?” I mumbled and gnced at the pool of bck vomit. Even here, whatever it was, light shone off its surface before being sucked into it, and I swore I could still hear the screams of the void.

  "It's said that the Cerebellium is not only the nd of gods and dreams but also an ecosystem in itself. A world with its ws and natural order. Creatures that evolved and grew within a realm in between realms which our community has dubbed "Cerebites." One of the initial discoveries of these cerebites can be referenced in Professor Chaunte El Vanbreu's "The Land that Shouldn't Exist" page 43. Chaunte documents how he and his team successfully extracted an entity they described as a "Mind Worm." With fascinating artistic renditions. The experiment was supposedly done in Cherrodor University Felkier involving a device they referred to as an etherite projector. To power this projector, Chaunte and his team required someone's mind, and for this experiment, they used Shaylin Van Elsin, a volunteer freshman. The results of the experiment were fascinating to the say the least. Though a more spectacur example can be found in "Creatures of the Mind."... "

  - Excerpt from "Peering into the In between" by Terry Rosewall, Page 12