She opened her eyes, only to be met with a pitch void. "Sacrificing yourself, what good will that do you?" a hollowed voice bellowed as it filled her ears most unpleasantly. "You do realize that your little stunt has him on his way here? Or did you not know that we've had our eyes upon him and a handful of others since we had been discovered?"
A painful jolt of black energy shot through her body and the extreme discomfort shot through all of her limbs simultaneously, only to settle into her mind. She screamed out in agony, but refused to give up where he had been present. "Whether that holds any truth or not, you won't have him. I refuse to be your puppet, and the invasion of my dreams has gone on long enough. I know not what your plan is to torment me, as you have done so from the very beginning, but you've no quarrel with my family or myself. However, I will entertain your quarrel if you will but leave him out of all of this."
The black entity began to materialize into a demon, stalking it's way towards her and with a voice that she would've immediately recognized: her mother's. With Honoria's vocal cords, the being began to speak to her quite sweetly as the sudden burst of pain subsided. "Oh my little darling, you studied well. You are, however, lacking in so many fineries. Take this magic, for example. My healing spells were nothing without it, and yours will not be either. You wish to help the masses? Then allow the darkness to entertain for you a platform for light. After all, we cannot have one without the other, and only your light will shine once you accept that the darkness is part of what will bring you greatness. If you've read my studies, you'd know that by now, my daughter. Or have you forgotten that which I have taught you? Healing can be found in many facets, but none so great as that which we do not understand."
By this point, Ada's tears were flowing, her voice trembling as her mother's voice faded into that of a growling snarl of the being's true voice. "So stubborn not even to take heed from your own mother? Very well then, girl. As you will not give us the hunter, you will give of yourself. We will take and take until we cannot take any longer. Mhach shall live again and, through you, we shall see the first seeds sewn."
It was at that point she turned her peridot eyes over to the entity in anger. "And what do you hope to accomplish? There are so many within this world that now know how to combat your breed of evil. I am one of them. So, you'd best kill me as it's the only you've left before you leave me angry enough to triturate you into the nothingness you serve." Her voice was anguished yet angry. "Before you do so, though...I've been ready for my death ever since Seasaidh approached me with the idea of the ancient war you seek to revive. History tends to repeat itself and it's a concept I'm all too familiar with. Why me, of all people, was I chosen for this fate? Mayhap you could answer me that as one last request to be fulfilled. It seems the greater powers that be have worked against me for so long that I was completely oblivious to it. If this be Hydaelyn's will, so be it. The other part of my request: my mother. Why did you utilize her voice? She would've never given herself over to something like you so willingly. Did you truly believe your taunt would work? She never had such cruel words for her children, ever. That was your first mistake."
The being hovered over her, finally coming into her view. "You know nothing of what your mother studied, otherwise you'd know why you're here." The layers of the vocal echo resonated throughout the room. "My mother studied restorative magics. I doubt very seriously that she would've delved into anything aside that which would benefit her fellow man," Ada's voice lowered to something more accusing. "If you're going to stand there and tell me that my mother was secretly practicing black magics, I would've been privy to it as I was with her constantly in my youth. She was my tutor, my teacher." The being stopped, every lap of it's black smoky countenance seeming to stop with time. "Your mother...is the reason why your sister has the knowledge of summoning avatars of primals."
Ada nodded, a bit of a dark smile crossing her features. "Indeed, as she needed to know how to combat that which she was to treat. Curses, maladies, magical corruption of aether, she had a hand in treating everything she could. It might've been knowledge she adopted when she was still studying in Sharlayan. Even still, if you're here to punish me for my mother's past sins, then you best do it quick for I will not be lenient should you fail." A large pillar of violet fire erupted from the being, a large column engulfing the altar in which Ada's already fragile body was spread upon and bound to. She began to scream. "The Nicholaides and Jorzan lines will end with you and your family. We cannot condone your interference any longer. Next will be that Elezen ne'er-do-well that you've gotten yourself and your heart entangled with. Foolish girl, the hunter will be much more pleasurable prey."
When she was reaching the point of fainting, her mind reached out to Seasaidh whom she felt had Casimir in tow. Ada, càit a bheil thu? A bheil thu math? Tha Casimir còmhla rium, bidh sinn ann a dh'aithghearr. Càite a bheil thu san Dorchadas?
Ada, where are you? Are you well? Casimir is with me, we'll be there soon. Càite a bheil thu ann an Oighreachd Haukke?
Ada closed her eyes. Seasaidh, cha bhithinn beò fhathast. Na cuir cuspair Casimir ris na creutairean sin. Is e an rùn aca aon de bhàs iomlan. Tha e mar-thà air fhulang gu leòr na bheatha. Tha fios agam air seo oir is urrainn dhomh coimhead a-steach a shùilean agus fios a bhith agam air rudan mar seo. Cùm air falbh e. Innis dha gum bi mi an-còmhnaidh a 'cuimhneachadh air a chaoimhneas, eadhon dhan rìoghachd a tha nas fhaide air falbh, agus gu bheil mi ag iarraidh an toileachas as fheàrr leis mar a tha e airidh air barrachd na tha e a' toirt cothrom dha fhèin a bhith a 'faireachdainn. Coimhead air, Seasaidh. Feumaidh e companach a bhith a 'cuideachadh le bhith a' stiùireadh a chridhe. Innis dha dhomh gu bheil e a 'leigeil leam a bhith a' faireachdainn airson a 'chiad uair agus gur iad sin na mìosan as bòidhche a dh' fhaodainn a bhith riamh. Tha gaol agam ort, Seasaidh. Tapadh leibh airson a bhith gam tagradh airson do adhbhar a bhrosnachadh. Tha mi ag iarraidh ort cùram a ghabhail gu cùramach do Casimir mar a tha thu.
Seasaidh, I will not survive this. Please do not subject Casimir to these beings. Their intent is one of absolute death. He's already suffered enough in his life. I know this because I can look into his eyes and know such things. Keep him away. Tell him that I will always remember his kindness, even into the realm beyond, and that I wish him the utmost happiness as he deserves more than he allows himself to feel. Watch over him, Seasaidh. He'll need a companion to help guide his heart. Tell him for me that he allowed me to feel for the first time and that they were the most beautiful moments I could ever treasure. I love you, Seasaidh. Thank you for choosing me to champion your cause. I implore you to please care for Casimir as you have me.
At that point, whatever contact that Seasaidh would've had with Ada ceased immediately, but she was able to at least pinpoint what room the scholar would've been located in, but the link, weakened as it was, still left traces of Ada's aether tangible to the fairy.
Casimir, Ada is currently being held in Haukke Manor. Apparently that's a place where this darkness has relocated and manifested. Do you know of it? All I know is that it is located in the Black Shroud and that she's being held in a room off to the west with two rather unsavory voidsent keeping hold over her. The mastermind behind it all is in there now, and he's rendering her useless in order to start consuming both her mana presence and her aether. With this knowledge, I can still keep a connection with her aether as I am bound to it. You call her a fool, but she didn't want to bring this curse upon you. She knows you can handle this, but she cares for you enough to allow you to live -your- life. She didn't wish to do anything to hinder that, and giving herself to those that wanted her was the only way she felt to ensure you could do so.
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